Shane Lowry will sit down with the family for Christmas dinner in seven weeks' time and bask in the warm glow of an unforgettable season.

Rory McIlroy is determined to end a four-year wait for a World Golf Championships victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this week.

Playing with pals helped Gavin Moynihan rediscover his mojo and put himself in position to battle for his European Tour survival in Portugal this week.

Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen claimed a slender lead in the opening round of the Italian Open after setting a target which proved too hot to handle.

Open champion Shane Lowry has switched his focus from parental responsibilities to trying to reclaim top spot in the Race to Dubai at the Italian Open.

The last thing Shane Lowry needs is to be a hostage to fortune — but while the new Open Champion insists he would retire happy with a single major win on his resumé, a steely ambition for further success lurks not far beneath the surface.

If the video clips doing the rounds on social media yesterday are anything to believe, Shane Lowry has been living up to his pledge to enjoy his magnificent and well-deserved Open Championship victory.

Pádraig Harrington toasted the double victory of Shane Lowry and Royal Portrush as a brilliant moment for Irish sport as the 148th Open Championship was declared a resounding success.

The Claret Jug has been renamed the Clara Jug in Shane Lowry's native Offaly.

Poulter joins major winners Padraig Harrington, Danny Willett, and Graeme McDowell, former world number one Lee Westwood, and defending champion Russell Knox in the field.

Could Tiger really win a fifth Masters Green Jacket?

Danny Willett drew on the memories his memorable 2016 Masters triumph to secure an emotional victory in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Rory McIlroy has not given up hope of winning a fourth Race to Dubai title despite facing a massive deficit to Open champion Francesco Molinari.

It’s the worst secret in golf and even Pádraig Harrington, one of the most affable men in golf, is tiring of being asked if he’s going to be the next captain of the European Ryder Cup team.

Sergio Garcia has continued his love affair with Real Club Valderrama.

England’s Ashley Chesters remained the man to catch in the Andalucia Masters, despite not hitting a single shot on a second weather-affected day at Valderrama.

Italy’s Matteo Manassero is ready to face the consequences of a poor season as he tries to save his European Tour card in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

Eddie Pepperell defied miserable conditions with a little help from his mum to win his second European Tour title of the season in the British Masters — and with it a different Masters appearance next April.

As a sporting spectacle, the Ryder Cup has the capacity to reach the dramatic pitch of All-Ireland finals, a World Cup, the Six Nations Championship, the Super Bowl, and the NBA finals.

European number one Tommy Fleetwood may hold the course record at Carnoustie but he is under no illusions that the 63 he shot at last October’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was on a very different set-up to the challenge being posed at this week’s 147th Open.

Tommy Fleetwood admitted he had been determined to retain his hunger after successfully defending the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

Patience paid dividends for Rory McIlroy, as he enjoyed a highly promising competitive comeback in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, where defending champion Tommy Fleetwood shared the lead after day one.

World number four Jon Rahm is set to play more European Tour events next season after expressing his frustration at not having a chance to win the Race to Dubai.

Shane Lowry joined Paul Dunne in the automatic Ryder Cup places and regained his place as Ireland’s No 1 after a nine-under 63 gave him a share of second in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

Defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick claimed the halfway lead in the DP World Tour Championship after Tommy Fleetwood ensured the Race to Dubai battle would go down to the wire.

Gavin Moynihan didn’t want to watch.

Gavin Moynihan and Ruaidhri McGee will need to put on their putting boots if they are to secure European Tour cards in the final round of the grueling European Tour Qualifying School marathon in Spain.

Bernd Wiesberger fired an opening round of 67 to take a one-shot lead into day two of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City hosted by Gary Player.

Tommy Fleetwood would happily be responsible for a “boring” end to the season as he looks to hold off the inspired challenge of Justin Rose and win the Race to Dubai.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington needed to eagle the last to force a play-off but made par and had to settle for fourth place on 16 under.

Pádraig Harrington believes he is capable of making a Ryder Cup return at the age of 47 after making a superb start to the Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya.

Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter already have one eye on a Ryder Cup return after making strong starts to the Turkish Airlines Open.

Tournament host Sergio Garcia dedicated victory in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters to wife Angela and unborn child after claiming a sixth victory on home soil.

Tommy Fleetwood shot a Carnoustie course-record 63 to claim a share of the halfway lead with defending champion Tyrrell Hatton at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Rory McIlroy is looking to avoid a first season without a win since 2008 when he tees it up at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week in the company of his father Gerry.

Greystones’ Paul Dunne produced a stunning final round to hold off a thrilling challenge from Rory McIlroy and claim his first European Tour title in the British Masters.

Rory McIlroy will subject himself to a comprehensive health MOT as he aims to make his second decade as a professional even more successful than the first.

Rory McIlroy concedes his late entry into the British Masters was influenced by the desire to avoid further accusations of receiving favourable treatment.

Lucas Bjerregaard claimed his first individual European Tour title with an impressive display of front-running in the Portugal Masters today.

Shane Lowry will head into the final day of the Portugal Masters four shots off the lead.

Miguel Angel Jimenez has his own record as the oldest winner in European Tour history in his sights after making a flying start to the Omega European Masters.

England’s Ashley Chesters held the clubhouse lead after day two of the weather-hit Porsche European Open in Hamburg.

To many golfers, being touted as a potential major winner is the sort of endorsement they could do without. Yet far from feeling cursed after having his credentials boosted by Pádraig Harrington ahead of this week’s Open Championship, Shane Lowry seems perfectly at ease with the suggestion.

It is appropriate in these golden times for Spanish golf that the oldest major should be returning to the place where the godfather of the sport in that country first made his mark.