Last year, Jordan Spieth posted one of the best seasons in the entire history of golf when winning five times.

Rory McIlroy is looking to kick out of neutral and hit top gear as he aims to transform a “B-minus” season into an A-plus campaign at this week’s PGA Championship.

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.

The last time Baltusrol staged the US PGA Championship in 2005, Thomas Bjorn equalled the lowest score in major championship history on his way to finishing second.

World number one Jason Day hopes a return to sunny weather, and the scene of past glory, can help him put his Open disappointment aside.

With a second European major winner of the season on the books thanks to Henrik Stenson’s brilliance at Royal Troon, there was plenty to cheer Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke over the weekend.

When Jack Nicklaus said that Merion “acre for acre may be the best test of golf in the world”, he certainly wasn’t considering the course from the point of view of tournament logistics.

So what’s it going to be? A thoroughbred major winner with killer course management and length to spare? A major virgin with a hot putter and an even hotter wedge? How about a straight-hitting gut-player with a laser-like long game and a brain?

Phil Mickelson won the Masters in April after romping to a 13-shot victory the previous Sunday. Things are rather different for his attempt to make a successful defence of the US PGA championship at Medinah in Chicago this week. He has just missed his first halfway cut of the year.

Phil Mickelson predicted the winning total at Winged Foot would be over par after his opening round in the 106th US Open.

A CLOSING bogey denied England's Nick Dougherty a share of the lead with Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh - the top two players in golf - at the NEC world championship in Ohio yesterday.

Europe’s wait for a winner of a major golf title will now go into a seventh year – but Thomas Bjorn is more convinced than ever that he can be the man to end the barren spell.

TIGER WOODS proved he was still capable of magical things in the suffocating humidity of yesterday’s final round of the US PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

Tiger Woods shot 66 in the USPGA Championship today – but came off Baltusrol’s final green a disappointed man.

Tiger Woods’ climb through the field continued at the US PGA championship today – but whether it was anything like enough to get him back into contention remained to be seen.

NO matter what part of the Baltusrol course he found himself in, Paul McGinley felt deafened by the massive roars ringing all around the place.

AS temperatures soared to almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit at Baltusrol yesterday, Phil Mickelson was back in his comfortable, air-conditioned room with his feet up and a satisfied smile on his face.

A television worker broke his left leg and two others were less seriously hurt when a large limb of a tree snapped and fell as Tiger Woods was playing his second round in the USPGA championship today.

NOT since the US Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills in 2003 has Pádraig Harrington finished in the top ten of a major championship.

TIGER WOODS, the 2/1 pre-tournament favourite, yesterday made his worst ever start to a major championship and is in danger of missing his first cut after 36 appearances as a professional.

Paul McGinley considers himself “only a little voice” – but he is determined to keep speaking his mind about the length of courses in the hope somebody listens.

THE outstanding behaviour of Munster rugby fans was mentioned during Padraig Harrington's press conference here yesterday.

Padraig Harrington

LONG, difficult golf courses never bothered Darren Clarke. But a three week lay-off from competitive action is another thing — and that’s why he feels “a little rusty” for this US PGA Championship at Baltusrol.

PAUL McGINLEY last night blasted the USPGA and others who set up their golf courses to suit the game’s longest hitters.

Paul Casey is not ready yet to send out any sort of warning to Tiger Woods, but the mere fact that he was playing at Gleneagles today put more of a spring in his step.

Steve Webster returned to the form which gave him his first European Tour victory in May as he climbed to the top of the Gleneagles leaderboard.

Steve Webster made a return to the form which gave him his first European Tour victory in May in his second round at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

A seriously worried Stephen Gallacher became another injury doubt for next week’s US PGA championship today when he followed Colin Montgomerie and David Howell out of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

JUST when it looked like Vijay Singh would cruise to another Buick Open victory, Tiger Woods made the final round interesting.

American Jim Furyk broke the 36-hole scoring record at the US Open today – but for many people 53-year-old Tom Watson remained the story of the week.