American Ryder Cup player Jimmy Walker is leading the way.

This week, the final major of the year, the PGA Championship returns to one of America’s most famous venues, the Lower Course at Baltusrol.

Rory McIlroy looks unlikely to recover in time to defend his US PGA title in four weeks’ time but his backroom team appear hopeful he can make the FedEx Cup and the conclusion to the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

Rory McIlroy will stride into the Ryder Cup arena a changed man from his last appearance for Europe two years ago.

His hands had been back on the Wanamaker Trophy barely two hours, but Rory McIlroy was already keenly aware of his place in golfing history and, more importantly, the next landmarks he wanted to reach in the game.

Rory McIlroy was battling the elements and some world-class opposition as he tried to win his second major in four weeks in a thrilling, weather-affected climax to the USPGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy had a real fight on his hands to win his second major in four weeks as the weather-affected USPGA Championship headed towards a thrilling climax at Valhalla.

Rory McIlroy shrugged off a rain delay of almost two hours which raised the prospect of a Monday finish in the US PGA Championship at Valhalla.

He may still be only 25 years of age but if this last month has told us anything about Rory McIlroy, it is that the kid from Holywood knows how to get the job done.

After recently reluctantly agreeing to be photographed with the Claret Jug in France, Graeme McDowell will turn down a request to pose with the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy, the prize in capturing next week’s USPGA Championship.

It will be back to work for Open champion Rory McIlroy this week as he gets on with the business of being a multiple Major winner.

Chasing historic feats makes up a huge chunk of his iconic golf persona. Meeting with law enforcement officials as part of a criminal investigation is a sliver of his curious enigma.

Jason Dufner had sat in the media centre two years previously at Atlanta Athletic Club as the disappointed yet philosophical PGA Championship runner-up. Sunday night he was back on stage at Oak Hill as a newly-minted Major champion.

Rory McIlroy will launch the defence of his PGA Championship title today confident that his smooth swing can find a way back into his game and march in behind a renewed pep in his step.

At the press conference to announce his multi-million pound deal with Nike in January, Rory McIlroy was keen to stress major titles mattered more to him than money.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON had a challenge making his first round tee time yesterday but he faces a considerably bigger test this evening as he tries to make the halfway cut at the 93rd PGA Championship.

THERE was a time when Irish golf fans would have been dancing in the streets with three players finishing inside the top 10 in a major.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON wasn’t punching holes in any walls or smashing any clubs – not even the offending six iron he used to rack up that horrific eight on the shortest par three at Hazeltine National.

IT didn’t have the white hot intensity of Sunday’s Firestone shoot-out but Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods still lit up the opening round of the 91st US PGA championship with a sparkling duel at Hazeltine National.

Padraig Harrington cannot wait for next year’s Masters after winning his second major in a month at Oakland Hills on Sunday.

Padraig Harrington has won the 90th US PGA Championship, to add to his Open title - catapulting his name alongside the legends in the history of world golf.

OAK HILL, the home of the Country Club of Rochester, was good to European golf in 1995 when the visitors somehow pulled off a quite remarkable victory in the Ryder Cup.

THE LAST person Justin Leonard wanted to see in his wing mirror coming down the stretch in yesterday’s final round of the US PGA Championship was Tiger Woods.