A new match-play event between Europe and Asia, the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, will be part of the 2014 European Tour schedule.

It was the most English of distances — a couple of paces less than a cricket pitch — yet for Paul Casey the 20-yard walk to pull the ball out of the hole on the 18th green on the Montgomerie Course was the most pleasant of journeys.

Justin Rose overcame a shaky start to justify taking over the favourite’s tag at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship today.

Speculation that Colin Montgomerie could return as Ryder Cup captain on Tuesday has not changed Jose Maria Olazabal’s position.

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”.

Heavy rain delayed play on the second morning of the Volvo Golf Champions in South Africa today.

Dustin Johnson began his year in supreme style with victory in the first PGA tournament of 2013 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Branden Grace claimed the Volvo China Open title as a final-round 69 left him three shots clear of the rest of the field.

Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal and former Open champion John Daly were among the early pacesetters at the Commercialbank Qatar Masters in Doha today.

Thomas Levet, the Ryder Cup player who broke a leg jumping in a lake to celebrate his French Open victory last July, is out of golf again with a broken rib.

Padraig Harrington will need to climb to 65th in the world rather than 64th to earn a place in next month’s Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

SOUTH AFRICAN Branden Grace yesterday became the first player since Fred Couples in 1995 to follow his first European Tour win with another.

Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, 596th in the world and without a win for seven years, shared the lead after starting his final round of the volvo Golf Champions with two birdies at Fancourt in South Africa today.

European captain Jose Maria Olazabal still has a chance to kick off Ryder Cup year with his first win for seven years - from the depths of 596th in the world.

For the second day of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in South Africa, Pádraig Harrington finished with a double-bogey seven and, having also dropped shots on the previous two holes, the Dubliner’s 73 left him, and Open Champion Darren Clarke (68), with eight shots to make up to leader Branden Grace.

BELGIUM’S Nicolas Colsaerts leads the Volvo Golf Champions by four strokes after surging clear of the field with a course-record 64 at Fancourt in South Africa today.

DESPITE a 15-month win drought and a fall to 89th in the world rankings, Pádraig Harrington says he “expects’’ rather than hopes to win more majors.

Darren Clarke is a changed man – a “Lean Mean Fighting Machine” according to his own website – as he kicks off his season in South Africa tomorrow.

NEGOTIATIONS about the future of the 2012 Irish Open are ongoing with a June 28 to July 1 date favourite to get the green light according to sources close to the European Tour.

England’s Paul Casey won the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain with a six-foot par putt on the final green today.

A 20-foot eagle putt on the third gave Ryder Cup Swede Peter Hanson the advantage on the final day of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain.

Irish golfer Darren Clarke is just one shot behind the leaders after finishing the third round of the Volvo Golf Champions today.

Peter Hanson became the man to catch after a sparkling burst around the turn at the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

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.

Miguel Angel Jimenez hit back from breaking his putter into two pieces by taking a remarkable share of the second-round lead at the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

Edoardo Molinari birdied his first six holes to grab the second round lead away from his brother Francesco at the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

Big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros quickly established himself as the man to catch at the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

WHILE a victory is the uppermost priority, Darren Clarke heads into a new season taking comfort he will be teeing-up in next year’s Race to Dubai ‘winners only’ season opener in Bahrain.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON, pictured, fell foul of “trial by television” last week, but fans at home are being told not to turn him in this week if they see him grounding his club on sand in Bahrain.

Padraig Harrington fell foul of "trial by television" last week, but fans at home are being told not to turn him in this week if they see him grounding his club on sand in Bahrain.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON has taken comfort from his peers after last week’s shock Abu Dhabi disqualification.

THE European Tour is set to break new ground in 2012, and also mirror the PGA Tour, with a ‘winners’ only’ event in Bahrain to start the new season.

THE increasingly lucrative “Gulf Swing” on the European Tour begins Thursday with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

RORY McIlroy is working harder than ever to get ready for the new season after splitting up with his girlfriend of six years over the Christmas break.