Shane Lowry was well entitled to a wry smile over the last day or two as he heard just about everybody talk up Ireland’s prospects of a medal at the 2016 Olympic Games now that Rory McIlroy has declared for Ireland and Graeme McDowell has confirmed he will wear the green, white and orange in Rio.

European Ryder Cup vice-captain Des Smyth will get an early chance to reacquaint himself with the rigours of the role when he teams up with Miguel Angel Jimenez for the inaugural EurAsia Cup in Malaysia in two weeks.

European captain Paul McGinley today named Sam Torrance and Des Smyth as his first two vice-captains for September’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

The composition of Paul McGinley’s Ryder Cup backroom team for Gleneagles in September should become a little clearer today when the Dubliner hosts a European Tour press conference in his home town.

Paul McGinley has vowed not to cash in on his stint as Ryder Cup captain by writing a book detailing what goes on behind the scenes at Gleneagles.

Scotland's Scott Jamieson came agonisingly close to recording the first ever 59 on the European Tour in the third round of the Portugal Masters today.

England’s Paul Waring and South African Hennie Otto inspired each other to claim a share of the lead with David Lynn after the second round of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

The date of the 2014 Irish Open has been confirmed but to be staged the same week as the British Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.

Seven players enjoyed a share of the lead after the first round of the Portugal Masters as a total of 68 players broke par on the Oceanico Victoria Golf Course.

Paul McGinley will resist any move at this week’s Players Committee meeting in Portugal to make it compulsory for the likes of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to compete in the Seve Trophy.

Paul McGinley declared he now has 20 players better prepared for Ryder Cup selection following the dramatic conclusion to the Seve Trophy at St Nom-la-Breteche yesterday.

Great Britain and Ireland’s Simon Khan had to pull out of the Seve Trophy on Sunday with a back injury, with Thomas Bjorn volunteering to step aside for the Continental Europe team at St Nom La Breteche.

Reigning Irish Open champion Paul Casey continues to stake his claim for a return to Ryder Cup action next year after another impressive display on day two of the Seve Trophy in France.

Paul McGinley declared he would be taking a backseat role but there was no hiding the enthusiasm of the European Ryder Cup captain on the opening day of the Seve Trophy near Versailles.

Former Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal will attempt to bring some Medinah magic to the Seve Trophy and lead another European side to a team triumph.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has expressed disappointment Shane Lowry is not in France for the Seve Trophy, commencing in France today.

Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano has received a late call-up to Continental Europe's team for this week's Seve Trophy after Peter Hanson pulled out with a back injury.

Shane Lowry secured his best finish in nearly a year but two crowd distractions over the closing holes in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews cost him victory.

After many unsuccessful attempts at mastering a surfboard, Shane Lowry continued to stand upright in the ancient club-and-ball game with a four under par 68 on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

The age old adage that you should be careful what you wish for is certainly holding true for Darren Clarke, just eight months after what was described as an “unseemly” politicking for the Ryder Cup captaincy.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is assured of a major say in who succeeds him for the 2016 match against the United States after European team chiefs announced an overhaul of the selection process.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is assured of a major say in who succeeds him for the 2016 match against the United States after European team chiefs announced an overhaul of the selection process.

Jose Maria Olazabal and Sam Torrance will lead the respective teams in the Seve Trophy in France this October.

Graeme McDowell set about making the most of this week’s ‘no halfway cut’ WGC–Bridgestone Invitational format ahead of next week’s PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Paul McGinley has spoken about the agonising 58 minutes he spent in his hotel room last night waiting to hear if he had been made Ryder Cup captain - or if he had missed out on the job probably for ever.

Paul McGinley tonight thanked Rory McIlroy for the part he played in him becoming Europe’s new Ryder Cup captain, and said: “If Rory does not make the team I think he has got a good chance of a pick now!”

Paul McGinley has been chosen to lead Europe in their defence of the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles in Scotland next year.

Rory McIlroy yesterday gave fellow Irishman Paul McGinley his unequivocal backing for the Ryder Cup captaincy ahead of tonight’s crucial vote on who will lead Europe’s 2014 defence at Gleneagles.

It now seems only Colin Montgomerie can come between Paul McGinley and the captaincy of the 2014 European Ryder Cup team.

Ireland’s Paul McGinley closed in on the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy last night after one of his key rivals, compatriot Darren Clarke admitted: “As much as I would dearly love to be captain, this may not be my time.”

Darren Clarke, many people’s favourite to lead Europe at the next Ryder Cup, said today: “As much as I would dearly love to be captain, this may not be my time”.

Graeme McDowell blames sleep-walking for the freak hand injury that almost ended his season prematurely.

Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald have backed Paul McGinley to captain Europe at the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Darren Clarke has thrown his hat into the ring to captain the European team in the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

Team success in the Ryder Cup and individual glory in Major championships are not mutually exclusive, as the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam proved on many occasions.

The champagne had not even dried on the European team room walls before thoughts turned to the next Ryder Cup trophy defence and, more pertinently, who will succeed Jose Maria Olazabal as captain at Gleneagles in 2014.

Team success in the Ryder Cup and individual glory in major championships are not mutually exclusive, as the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam proved on many occasions.

Jose Maria Olazabal does not believe he has gambled by picking uncapped Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts rather than three-time major winner Padraig Harrington for next month’s Ryder Cup.

Despite an impressive first round 64, Jose Maria Olazabal declared Pádraig Harrington has to “at least win” the Barclays Championship to be even considered for a Ryder Cup wildcard pick.

It was a very different Darren Clarke who spoke about Gleneagles today to the one who five years ago lashed into the course chosen for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

It seems outrageous, but there is a strong belief a festering nine-year-old spat with the present European Ryder Cup captain could cost Pádraig Harrington one of Jose-Maria Olazabal’s two ‘wild card’ picks on the European team to face the Americans at Medinah on September 28-30.

PAUL McGINLEY expressed his relief last night after avoiding an eighth knee operation in favour of a revolutionary new treatment that has worked wonders with Premier League soccer stars.

Continental Europe fought back to lead two of the five fourball matches against Great Britain and Ireland during the early stages of the second round of the Vivendi Seve Trophy at St-Nom-La-Breteche.