Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson defeated Justin Thomas in a play-off after an extraordinary climax to the WGC-Mexico Championship to claim his first victory since the 2013 Open.

Bubba Watson was feeling low about his health and even worse about his golf. It reached a point that he wondered if he would ever win again, and he says he talked with his wife on a dozen occasions about retiring.

The PGA Tour rings in the new year at Kapalua for the 20th straight time. The one moment that stands above all others over the years was the titanic battle between Tiger Woods and Ernie Els in 2000.

Rory McIlroy will answer questions about his caddie on Wednesday, according to his manager.

This summer’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open has received another boost of star power after world number 12 and rising Spanish star Jon Rahm added his name to the entry list.

Happy, relaxed and unstressed. Rory McIlroy believes he is in the right frame of mind to finally conquer the Masters but he will also have to tame his demon holes at Augusta National and stop the hottest player in golf.

There will have been no tears from Shane Lowry as confirmation came that Darren Clarke would not be making him one of his captain’s picks for Hazeltine next month.

So we have arrived at that point in the professional golf schedule that generated so much consternation months ago, even going back to 2015.

Dustin Johnson has set his sights on becoming world number one as he heads into next week’s Open Championship at Troon seeking a third win in a row.

While it was a statement I suspected was coming for some time, there is no doubt that yesterday’s decision by Rory McIlroy to pull out of the Olympic Games has greatly undermined the efforts of the world’s golfing organisations to re-introduce golf into the games after a 112-year absence.

Vaughn Taylor doesn’t know how he lost his game. Even more mystifying was the way it returned.

One couldn’t blame Rory McIlroy if he were to suggest that professional golf adopt something that is the rage with the sport of American football — the concussion protocol. 

Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth are both likely to be far from their best as they contest the final World Golf Championship event of the year in Shanghai this week.

Good golf, they say, is only ever borrowed briefly, though Shane Lowry is happy to tempt the gods of the game by insisting he finds it all rather ‘easy’ at the moment.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke believes Shane Lowry has a tough decision to make over his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title defence in 2016 but is in no doubt the European Tour made the right decision not to sanction next year’s prestigious tournament.

Ryder Cup hopefuls, including newly crowned champion Shane Lowry, will face a dilemma next season after the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational was withdrawn from the European Tour schedule.

Six years after sitting disconsolately in his hotel room in Akron wondering if he had the game to play on tour, Shane Lowry stands on top of the world safe in the knowledge that he’s now a man to be feared.

Hometown golfer Michael Putnam is expecting a lot of noise from the Chambers Bay galleries this week if the decibel levels at Seattle Seahawks NFL games are any guide.

Ernie Els has always been a rugby player at heart, a big and bruising heavyweight champion in a sport, golf, that doesn’t fancy itself for that weight class.

Darren Clarke admits his lack of experience as a skipper will leave him heading into the unknown at Hazeltine in 19 months’ time.

Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia and Marcel Siem will have to achieve something only Rory McIlroy himself has done this season to deny the world number one a second Race to Dubai title in three years.

Bubba Watson defeated Tim Clark on the first play-off hole to win the WGC-HSBC Champions yesterday after an extraordinary finish to the event in Shanghai.

The Ryder Cup is the ultimate pressure cooker for a golfer but for Rory McIlroy — who wants Darren Clarke to succeed Paul McGinley as captain in 2016 — it’s not a lot different from the goldfish bowl existence that sums up the world No 1’s life these days.

Rory McIlroy will be Europe’s talisman at next week’s Ryder Cup and then go on to become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam,according to Gary Player.

These celebrities are a case in point, says Paula Burns

As thrilling as it was to watch Rory McIlroy dig deep into his well of determination to clinch the US PGA Championship, as exciting to see him resist the challenge of America’s old stager and latest bright young thing there was an unmistakable feeling that someone had been lost in the gathering gloom at Valhalla.

Rory McIlroy has a greater appreciation for the achievements of Tiger Woods after claiming his second successive Major at Valhalla.

Rory McIlroy has a greater appreciation for the achievements of Tiger Woods after claiming his

Rory McIlroy recovered from a slow start to claim the clubhouse lead in pursuit of his second major title in succession on a weather-affected second day of the 96th US PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy has recovered from a slow start to boost his chances of a second major title in succession in the weather-affected 96th US PGA Championship today.

He has won his last two events, is back on top of the world rankings and is rated a 5/1 favourite to make it three wins in succession with a second US PGA Championship title at Valhalla this week.

Rory McIlroy believes he is in the best form of his life as he seeks a third win in succession and second major title in the space of four weeks in the US PGA Championship.

A fortnight after holding off Sergio Garcia to win the Open Championship, Rory McIlroy overhauled his Ryder Cup team-mate to claim his first World Golf Championship event on Sunday – and with it reclaimed top spot in the world rankings.

A stunning round of 61 gave Sergio Garcia a three-shot lead over Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose at the halfway stage of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on Friday.

Newly-crowned Open champion Rory McIlroy had to settle for an opening 69 on his return to action in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron today.

Triple Major champion Rory McIlroy has revealed that as a youngster he almost quit the game, but put it down to being a ‘grumpy teenager.’

Two-time major winner Rory McIlroy insists he is happy with life and is not letting anything deflect his focus away from golf as he bids to win his first Open Championship.