Missing the halfway cut in the defence of his UBS Hong Kong Open title has only reinforced Rory McIlroy’s goal to cut back on his playing schedule.

It is extremely rare for Rory McIlroy’s caddy to walk into the scorer’s hut on the first day of any tournament enquiring of the cut-off mark.

Spain’s Javi Colomo was the shock leader of the UBS Hong Kong Open after the first round today – with world number one Rory McIlroy nine shots behind and needing a big improvement just to survive the halfway cut.

Miguel Angel Jimenez gave himself another chance to become the European Tour’s oldest-ever winner when he began the UBS Hong Kong Open with a five under par 65 today.

Among the four European Tour events Rory McIlroy has favoured most in his career, he’s enjoyed more success competing in the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Rory McIlroy declared he is not about to rest of his laurels after becoming the youngest player in 36 years to become European No 1.

Rory McIlroy’s goal of ending the season as European No. 1 has received a huge boost with his five nearest rivals, including closest challenger Peter Hanson, deciding not to contest two of the last three events on this year’s schedule.

After the euphoria of the Ryder Cup, Rory McIlroy had the victory rug unceremoniously dragged from under him on the opening day of the Turkish Airlines World Golf final in Belek.

Shane Lowry will join a number of fellow European Tour members in taking advantage before the advent of new changes and enter this year’s PGA Tour Qualifying School.

MASTERS champion Charl Schwartzel has sympathised with Rory McIlroy in the decision of the US Open champion not to contest this week’s Thailand Golf Championship in Bangkok.

AS THE Race to Dubai now nears the victory tape, Pádraig Harrington is already in the starting blocks for next season.

SUPER agent Conor Ridge experienced an emotional Sunday at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

RORY McILROY will still visit a Dubai hospital later today despite an energy-charged performance in capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open.

ONE of the first aspects on the agenda of Horizon Sports Conor Ridge in managing the affairs of Rory McIlroy has been to curb the ‘madness’ of his client’s heavy end-of-season schedule.

THE Chinese government has a history of detaining dissidents, but putting the US Open golf trophy under lock and key sounds too bizarre to be true.

THREE-time Major winner Pádraig Harrington revealed more delight in the efforts of Gareth Maybin than co-leader Rory McIlroy on the opening round of the UBS Hong Kong Open.

THE sight of Santa Claus at a golf tournament is very timely for the six Irish contesting this week’s season penultimate UBS Hong Kong Open.

UNBEKNOWN to Pádraig Harrington, there was a hardback book on the shelf in the Chart Room of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club entitled ‘Challenge’.

GRAEME McDOWELL’S disappointing season came back to haunt him when he and Rory McIlroy again let victory slip from their grasp for a second time running in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.

THE US Open winning duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell are the closest of friends but there is one key difference in that relationship ahead of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup at Haikou in China.

ORGANISERS of next month’s UBS Hong Kong Open will be reviewing an invitation to John Daly after he walked off midway through the first round of the Australian Open in Sydney.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON admits “the Ryder Cup won’t happen for me” unless he plays well in key events.

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.

Rory McIlroy suffered Sunday heartbreak for a second successive week as Italian Matteo Manassero won the Maybank Malaysian Open two days before his 18th birthday.

DARREN CLARKE generously awarded playing partner Miguel Angel Jimenez a ‘6’ for technique after the frustrated Spaniard snapped his putter on day two of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain.

GRAEME MCDOWELL’S quest to end the season as the European Tour’s number one didn’t start too well when he andfellow Ulster golfer Rory McIlroy were left stranded at Dubai Airport early yesterday morning.

GRAEME MCDOWELL believes he can win this week’s Dubai World Championship and be crowned Europe’s number one golfer.

Graeme McDowell believes he is playing well enough to win next week’s Dubai World Championship despite failing to challenge eventual winner Ian Poulter at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.

Ian Poulter secured his second victory of the year after producing a near faultless display to capture the UBS Hong Kong Open by one stroke today.

Ian Poulter is relishing the prospect of some friendly rivalry as he bids to hold off the challenge from his 2010 Ryder Cup colleagues for the UBS Hong Kong Open trophy tomorrow.

Graeme McDowell has no special game plan in place to hold off the in-form Ian Poulter and claim a morale-boosting victory in the Race to Dubai by lifting the UBS Hong Kong Open trophy tomorrow.

RORY McILROY’S legs were shaking like jelly when a earth tremor shook Hong Kong late on day two of the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Ian Poulter quite literally felt the earth move as the Ryder Cup star produced one of the best rounds of his career to claim the halfway lead at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.

Graeme McDowell is confident he is well placed to mount a successful challenge for the UBS Hong Kong Open title after the US Open champion shot a five-under 65 to sit three shots behind leader Ian Poulter at the halfway stage of the tournament.

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

Anthony Kang shot the best round of the UBS Hong Kong Open so far with a nine-under-par 61 giving the American the clubhouse lead midway through the second round.

Rory McIlroy’s pursuit of a first UBS Hong Kong Open title at the third attempt got off to a strong start as the Northern Irishman shot a seven-under 63 in today’s opening round to finish one stroke behind leader Mark Brown.

A blistering eight-under-par 62 from Mark Brown propelled the New Zealander into the first round lead at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.

Rory McIlroy continued to hold onto the clubhouse lead at the UBS Hong Kong Open today but New Zealand’s Mark Brown was making a solid bid to usurp him as the opening round headed towards a close.

Rory McIlroy got his bid for a second European Tour win off to the ideal start after firing a seven-under-par 63 to take the clubhouse lead in the first round of the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Rory McIlroy believes Graeme McDowell has a great chance of winning the Race to Dubai ahead of Martin Kaymer.

Rory McIlroy feels his stint on the US PGA Tour has made him stronger as both a person and a player but is determined to kick-start a return to winning ways in Europe at this week’s UBS Hong Kong Open.

Australian Adam Scott hailed a “dream” victory after cruising to an unprecedented third Singapore Open title today.

RORY McILROY will have his first session on his home driving range this week after revealing that the state of the art practice facility he has building at his Holywood home in Northern Ireland is finally ready to use.