AUSTRALIAN Brett Rumford, the winner when the event was previously staged at Baltray in 2004, and newly crowned Spanish Open champion Thomas Levet, are among the latest entries for the 3 Irish Open starting at the Co Louth links on Thursday week, May 14.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE has never been one to down play his own prospects or boosting those of his rivals.

EUROPEAN Tour golf of the highest standard has been a constant in Ireland since 1975 when the Irish Open was revived after a 23 year gap.

Angel Cabrera appears intent on enjoying his US Open victory to the full.

PAUL McGINLEY strolled from the Augusta National locker room to the practice range as if he was beginning his preparation for just another run-of-the-mill tournament instead of his second tilt at the Masters.

Tiger Woods has confirmed he is to return to the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth this September for the first time since 1998.

TWO Irishmen watched Greg Owen’s misery at Bay Hill on Sunday from the closest possible quarters.

FORMER European Tour chief executive Ken Schofield has called for players not to forget their roots in the search for more money in America.

Record prize money of €3.5m has been confirmed for the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin, which starts on July 6.

MONTY or Cambo? That’s the big issue here as the Scot and the Kiwi go head-to-head in pursuit of the European Tour order of merit.

CARNOUSTIE, widely regarded as one of the most difficult golf courses on the planet, didn’t really show its teeth on yesterday’s opening day of the €4m Dunhill Links Championship.

IRONIC, wasn’t it, that when a couple of Europeans finally got into the shake-up for a major, it should have been two of the older generation that did so.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON has declined to accept a penny of the €240,000 he picked up for winning the JP McManus pro-am at Adare Manor on Tuesday.

KENNETH FERRIE departed here last night the richer by €577,816 after his sensational victory in the Smurfit European Open.

England’s Kenneth Ferrie, ranked 326th in the world, pulled off an amazing victory in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin today.

Colin Montgomerie birdied four of the first five holes to charge into joint fourth place in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club west of Dublin today.

Ryder Cup player Costantino Rocca was disqualified from the Smurfit European Open today for missing his tee-off time – the day after American cup captain Tom Lehman received a two-stroke penalty for being a few seconds late.

Thomas Bjorn defied gusts of up to 30mph today to open up a four-stroke lead in the Smurfit European Open – and show Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam how well he plays on the course where Europe defend the trophy next year.

Thomas Bjorn defied gusts of up to 30mph today to build a clear lead in the Smurfit European Open and show Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam how well he plays on the course where Europe defend the trophy next year.

There is a strongly Irish flavour to the leaderboard at the Smurfit European Open at the K Club.

American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman had to dash to the first tee to avoid a two-stroke penalty in the third round of the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin today.

The Smurfit European Open was an event Darren Clarke was going to miss in the run-up to the Open Championship. But tomorrow he could well win it.

MANY people were extremely surprised when Damien McGrane decided last year to quit his job as club professional at Wexford Golf Club.

DARREN CLARKE hopes the old adage that you should beware the injured golfer comes true here this weekend.

Thomas Bjorn’s return to the Smurfit European Open at the K Club – the event which turned into a nightmare last year – has gone like a dream so far.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson, kept off the European tour for six months last year by serious back trouble, returned from another injury lay-off to grab a share of the halfway lead in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin today.

Thomas Bjorn’s return to the Smurfit European Open at the K Club – the event he walked out of after just six holes last year – has gone like a dream so far.

Lee Westwood is certainly going to remember the K Club’s 182-yard 12th if he returns next September for the Ryder Cup.

The Open Championship would have been close to the top of Darren Clarke’s priorities in 2005 but things have changed considerably in six months.

Trevor Immelman reckons the Open at St Andrews the week after next is “probably going to be the highlight of my career”.

A MAGNIFICENT eagle three at the 18th has elevated Kilkenny's Gary Murphy into a share of fourth place after the opening round of the Smurfit European Open at The K Club.

After the high of grabbing another victory in America on Sunday Padraig Harrington sank to his worst round in Europe for seven years today.

Encouraged by his wife Heather to return to golf this week, Darren Clarke overcame a sore left knee to begin the Smurfit European Open with a fine three-under-par 69 today.

Retief Goosen looked every inch the defending champion when he started the Smurfit European Open with a five-under-par 67 at the K Club near Dublin today.

Retief Goosen looked every inch the defending champion when he started the Smurfit European Open at the K Club in Co Kildare today.

LOOKING as laid-back and at ease, Michael Campbell arrived at the K Club ready to challenge for his second Smurfit European Open title in four years over the Palmer North course.

Ian Woosnam today named Ireland’s Des Smyth and England’s Peter Baker as his two vice-captains for next year's Ryder Cup match at the K Club near Dublin.

Michael Campbell and Retief Goosen, the last two US Open champions, will head the field along with Padraig Harrington, winner of his second US Tour title on Sunday, for the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin tomorrow.

IT was little more than 24 hours since he arrived home in triumph from the Westchester Classic in New York, but no one was surprised to see Pádraig Harrington or his Scottish coach Bob Torrance on The K Club practice range.

THE Smurfit European Open could hardly have scripted things better for their €3.4m championship beginning over the original Palmer North Course at The K Club on Thursday.