NO MATTER how many times you have competed in events of the size and status of the British Open Championship, one has to be continually impressed by the scale of the infrastructure supporting the event and the attention to detail, not least in the media centre.

SHANE LOWRY got his first look at a US Open course set-up at Congressional County Club yesterday having admitted he was taking a leap into the unknown.

THE body language seemed to suggest Rory McIlroy was disinterested after recording a shock 76 on the opening day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

DARREN CLARKE ended a three-year winless drought in Mallorca but Graeme McDowell couldn’t make it an Irish double as he imploded with a final round 79 in the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Darren Clarke won his first European Tour event for almost three years at the Iberdrola Open in Majorca after carding a closing 69 to leapfrog Chris Wood on the leaderboard.

Irish golfer Darren Clarke has the Iberdrola Open in Majorca, his first title since 2008.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry shot a third-round seven-under-par 63 to move into contention at the Iberdrola Open in Majorca today.

GOLF: IRELAND’S Darren Clarke battled back from a double bogey at the third and a further dropped shot at the ninth, to shoot a level par 70 and lie just three shots behind leader Chris Wood at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca.

Chris Wood claimed a three-stroke advantage at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca as Irish and British golfers dominated the upper reaches of the leaderboard heading into the weekend.

A course-record 63 earned Frenchman Gregory Bourdy a one-shot lead at the end of the first round of the Iberdrola Open in Majorca.

Ireland's Darren Clarke is just two shots off the clubhouse leader as he finished his first round in the Iberdrola Open in Majorca today.

An escort of youngsters dressed in navy blue and each carrying a three-iron provided one of many touching moments at the funeral of Seve Ballesteros today.

THE passing of the peerless Seve Ballesteros at the weekend has overshadowed everything else in the game of golf to such an extent that it seems almost disrespectful to discuss anything else.

SEVE BALLESTEROS will be dressed in his ‘Sunday Uniform’ for Wednesday’s emotional final tee off.

IRELAND’S Gary Murphy lies in a tie for third place at the European Tour’s event in Majorca, three shots off leader James Kingston.

South African James Kingston capitalised on the best of the conditions to take the first round lead at the European Tour’s event in Majorca today.

THE so called fifth major, the Players Championship at Sawgrass over the weekend, proved a salutary lesson for Ireland’s top two players, Rory McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington.