Padraig Harrington is just four off the clubhouse lead held by Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, whose 65 continued the excellent form of last week when he was fourth in the Avantha Masters.

Padraig Harrington is just four off the lead after day one of the Malaysian Open.

Tennis star Caroline Wozniacki appeared to pour cold water last night on speculation that she would walk down the aisle soon with her boyfriend, golf’s world No 1 Rory McIlroy.

Jose Maria Olazabal has no current plans to give at least one rising star of the European Tour a taste of the Ryder Cup.

Rory McIlroy’s return yesterday to the top of the world rankings even though he only tied for 40th in the Masters and didn’t play at all last week has many people mystified as to how this could possibly happen.

South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen produced the perfect response to his play-off defeat at the Masters by claiming the Malaysian Open title yesterday.

South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen produced the perfect response to his play-off defeat at the Masters last Sunday by claiming the Malaysian Open title today.

Two birdies over the space of the first four holes helped Scotland`s Stephen Gallacher steal a march on his rivals and take a share of the lead at the Malaysian Open this morning.

South African players continued to dominate the Malaysian Open before play was suspended due to bad weather.

South African Louis Oosthuizen shrugged off the disappointment of his Masters play-off defeat to Bubba Watson to make a strong start at the Malaysian Open today.

Louis Oosthuizen shrugged off the disappointment of his Masters play-off defeat to Bubba Watson to make a strong start at the Malaysian Open today.

THERE is a real spring in Michael Hoey’s step ahead of tomorrow’s Castellon Masters with the latest Irish winner on Tour targeting a return next April to Augusta National on the 10th anniversary of his only Masters appearance.

England's Mark Foster and Spaniard Ignacio Garrido, who have played more than 450 European Tour events between them since their last wins in 2003, will go head to head to try to change that at Gleneagles tomorrow.

WHEN Pádraig Harrington added the 2008 US PGA Championship to the British Opens of ‘07 and ‘08 many felt a wonderful era for Irish golf had reached its zenith.

Fresh from his second win of the season American Bubba Watson believes Tiger Woods – without a victory for 18 months – should go back to what made him the best golfer on the planet.

RORY McILROY does not believe he was ready to win his first major last month.

Rory McIlroy does not believe he was ready to win his first major last month.

WHEN Rory McIlroy created global headlines by winning the 2010 Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina, few could have imagined he would be without a tournament success 12 months later.

ITALIAN Matteo Manassero will celebrate his 18th birthday today as the 33rd ranked golfer in the world.

PRIVATE jets carrying Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy passed over the skies of the Middle East yesterday.

Italian Matteo Manassero will celebrate his 18th birthday tomorrow as the 33rd ranked golfer in the world.

RORY McILROY suffered more final-round anguish as Italian teenager Matteo Manassero clinched the Malaysian Open by one shot from Frenchman Gregory Bourdy yesterday.

A solitary birdie was all it took to keep Rory McIlroy out in front at the Maybank Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur today.

Rory McIlroy made a solid return to action after his Masters heartache but it is Sweden’s Alexander Noren who leads the way after the opening round of the Malaysian Open at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.

Rory McIlroy made a promising start at the Malaysian Open today as he attempted to bounce back from his Masters disappointment.

IF losing the Masters was not tough enough, Rory McIlroy arrived for the Malaysian Open after a near 30-hour trip without his golf clubs.

TWO SONS of Ulster suffered lonely defeat on American soil this weekend but there was one sharp contrast in the circumstances of each loss.

Nick Faldo still believes in Rory McIlroy after watching every shot of a Masters nightmare that inevitably turned his own mind back 15 years.

Rory McIlroy admits he is going to find it hard to forget his Masters meltdown for a while – and new champion Charl Schwartzel was making it impossible today.

Jelena Dokic rallied to beat Japan’s Karumi Nara 3-6 7-6 6-2 and progress to the quarter-finals of the BMW Malaysian Open today.

Rory McIlroy found his form to power up the UBS Hong Kong Open leaderboard in the closing stages of the second round today.

World number nine Mikhail Youzhny recovered from a set down to beat Andrey Golubev in the final of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

FOUR Irish amateurs have the opportunity to emulate Shane Lowry’s amazing success at Baltray last year and upstage the professionals in the ‘3’ Irish Open Championship.

Australia’s Marcus Fraser won the Ballantine’s Championship today by four shots as a battling three-under-par 69 final round secured a wire-to-wire win and first victory in seven years.

ALL five Irish players made the cut following the halfway stage of the Volvo China Open at Jinji Lake International Golf Club yesterday at which Ye Yang ominously moved one shot behind fellow Korean Kim Do-hoon.

Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and Chinese number one Liang Wenchong established a one-shot lead midway through the first round of the Volvo China Open after defying cold and windy conditions at Jinji Lakes International Golf Club to card six-under-par rounds of 66 today.

CHALLENGE TOUR graduate Rhys Davies took heart from his near miss at the Maybank Malaysian Open on Sunday, when the Welshman fell just short of claiming a maiden European Tour title.

DARREN CLARKE heads fly fishing this week, hopeful he’s not far away from landing another Tour victory.

Dane Soren Hansen and Angelo Que headed a seven-way tie at the top of the Maybank Malaysian Open leaderboard when play was suspended during today’s second round due to lightning.

Consistent Dane Soren Hansen joined Angelo Que in a share of the clubhouse lead midway through the second round of the Maybank Malaysian Open at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

DARREN CLARKE is determined to iron out a string of costly recent errors and build on a solid start to the year at this week’s Maybank Malaysian Open.

Darren Clarke is determined to iron out a string of costly recent errors and build on a solid start to the year at this week's Maybank Malaysian Open.

SO another company, Gatorade, have decided to pull the plug on Tiger Woods.

Top seed Elena Dementieva continued her fine form to reach the final of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.