There were easily far more officials and photographers gathered around the Wales Open first tee than paying spectators when Paul McGinley hit the opening tee shot of the 2014 Ryder Cup qualifying campaign.

The next time Paul McGinley visits Gleneagles it will be by steam train in a month’s time and in the company of rival USA captain, Tom Watson to mark ‘A Year To Go’ celebrations to the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Players with good form at Gleneagles and experience of playing in bad weather will rank “very highly” in the list of contenders for one of European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley’s three wild cards.

YOU can understand Graeme McDowell’s disappointment at Rory McIlroy’s decision to leave Horizon Sports Management after just 18 months in the same stable.

Medinah miracle worker Jose Maria Olazabal has heaped praise on his successor as Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley.

Never do things in a hurry.

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.

Former paratrooper Thongchai Jaidee jumped into a three-stroke lead over Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen when the Volvo Champions began at a wet and windy Durban Country Club today.

Former Ryder Cup star Ross Fisher and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher both matched their lowest rounds of the year to share the lead when the Portugal Masters began today.

One shocking hole put Open champion Darren Clarke in danger of another missed cut in the Alstom French Open at Le Golf National near Paris today.

Not surprisingly, given the victory in the Memorial tournament, the bookmakers have installed Tiger Woods a 7/1 favourite for this week’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Magnus Carlsson produced a stunning round of 65 to open up a two-shot lead on day one of the Nordea Masters in Stockholm today.

England’s Richard Bland was the early clubhouse leader as the Nordea Masters got under way in Stockholm today.

Tiger Woods produced some of the old magic to match Jack Nicklaus’ career tally of 73 PGA Tour wins with his fifth victory at the Memorial Tournament last night.

Scotland’s Marc Warren has won a World Cup with Colin Montgomerie, two European Tour titles and over £2m, but remarkably has never played in a major.

Ryder Cup hopeful Simon Dyson is out of this week's BMW PGA Championship - the European Tour's flagship event as he tries to shake off a stressed hip injury.

THIS time last year, Graeme McDowell was the toast of the golfing world.

Jose Maria Olazabal has said he expects Sergio Garcia to be in his Ryder Cup team next year – and he has now seen for himself that Swede Alex Noren might well be in Chicago as well.

It was a case of ’Home Sweet Home’ today as Sergio Garcia took a giant stride towards his first victory for almost three years.

Ireland’s Peter Lawrie was setting the pace for the second week running when the Johnnie Walker Championship began after a 160-minute fog delay at Gleneagles today.

Marcel Siem led the Irish Open going into today's third round in Killarney - and that brought back a happy memory for Graeme McDowell.

GRAEME McDOWELL is looking forward to this week’s Irish Open and hoping it can act as a springboard to a strong second half of what has been a disappointing year.

Tiger Woods, expected to announce later this week that he is returning to action at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Thursday week, is out of the world’s top 20 for the first time since January 1997.

Sweden’s Alexander Noren today cruised to his third European Tour title despite a closing round of 77 in Stockholm.

SPORTS psychologist Bob Rotella may have straightened Darren Clarke’s head out this week at Royal St George’s, but he is going to have his hands full with Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington for the next while following a couple of brain-mangling rounds at the British Open yesterday.

IT was as if they had turned the clocks back 140 years or so, to those days when Old Tom and Young Tom ruled the fairways of Prestwick in the annual British Open Championship.

WITH his US Open reign consigned to the record books, Graeme McDowell is enjoying his return to normality and quietly mounting a case for consideration at this week’s British Open.

After playing in every Open since 1989 Colin Montgomerie misses out at Sandwich this week.

RORY McILROY’S history-making US Open triumph received further recognition yesterday when he was named The 2011 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Month for June.

THE Irish Open may be going ahead without a title sponsor next month but European Tour chiefs will use the event in Killarney to woo a major long-term backer for one of its biggest tournaments.

A YEAR on from his Pebble Beach victory, Graeme McDowell is ready to start looking forward again — with this week’s US Open title defence marking the start of the rest of his career.

Graeme McDowell was a relieved man at Congressional today – talking over, the rest of his career can now begin.

English duo Robert Rock and Chris Wood lead the way at the Italian Open with eight-under-par opening rounds giving them hope of a maiden European Tour title.

English duo Robert Rock and Chris Wood made the early running at the Italian Open today with eight-under-par opening rounds giving them hope of a maiden European Tour title.

PAUL McGINLEY was nicely positioned to make local knowledge pay when he stood four under par through 27 holes in yesterday’s final qualifying round for the British Open at Sunningdale.

RORY McILROY shot a remarkable 23 birdies, eight of them in a final round of 68, and an eagle, but four players still finished ahead of him in the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village on Sunday.

Whether Colin Montgomerie ever plays another major championship remains open to doubt after he failed miserably in a 36-hole qualifier for The Open today.

Colin Montgomerie gave himself another mountain to climb when he managed only a one-over-par 71 in the first round of the Open Championship 36-hole qualifier at Sunningdale today.

Graeme McDowell is relishing defending his US Open title next week – despite finishing off the pace at a wet and windy Celtic Manor.

Less than two weeks away from his defence of the US Open title Graeme McDowell suffered the potentially devastating shock of an 81 – the joint worst round of his entire European Tour career – at Celtic Manor today.

Gregory Havret, runner-up to Graeme McDowell in last year’s US Open, withdrew from the Saab Wales Open today following the death of his father.

Jamie Donaldson was inspired playing alongside defending champion and Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell on the European Tour’s return to Celtic Manor today.

A “FUMING” Ian Poulter is by no means a certain starter at Wentworth next year after another painful experience in the European Tour’s flagship event.