The Open Championship has not been a happy hunting ground for Shane Lowry over the past two seasons but Pádraig Harrington believes the 30-year-old has the credentials to become Ireland’s fifth recipient of the Auld Claret Jug.

Former world number one Tiger Woods is “ready to go” as he prepares for his return to competitive golf after almost 16 months out.

Former world number one Tiger Woods is "ready to go" as he prepares for his return to competitive golf after almost 16 months out.

Shane Lowry is determined to defend his WGC-Bridgestone Invitational title and get his Ryder Cup campaign up and running with a badly-needed win over the next four weeks.

Rory McIlroy could have taken a longer, safer route to the 18th green at Whistling Straits. Instead he bounded down a steep hill like a mountain goat who’d just spotted a particularly juicy clump of grass.

SMOKED salmon is the easy part of Christmas. Throw it on brown bread, with lemon and black pepper, and the innocents will think it’s posh and that you’ve spent a lot. 

Maybe it’s time to move beyond those donut-shaped balloons that connect our cars to the road.

Bridgestone, the world’s largest tyre and rubber manufacturer, has been chosen by BMW as exclusive tyre supplier for the new i8, BMW’s revolutionary, new electric hybrid car.

Fitter, stronger, and longer off the tee, it has taken more than just the right equipment and the harnessing of his immense natural talent for Rory McIlroy to re-scale the heights of world golf.

WALK into any restaurant these days and you’re frequently confronted by a wall covered with plaques and framed certificates, telling you how great the restaurant is. What do they all mean, if anything?

Pirelli head into practice for the German Grand Prix under enormous pressure to prove their tyres are safe after the drivers threatened a boycott should their lives again be placed at risk.

Pirelli faces a searching examination of its credentials to continue to supply tyres to Formula One after Silverstone was left strewn with exploded rubber throughout the British Grand Prix.

The true Gael will daily encounter multiple reasons to swell with fierce pride as he or she ambles about our fair land but there are few finer reasons than our magnificent farmhouse cheeses, now of such variety and quality as to justly earn us a prime place on the global cheeseboard.

Ireland’s US Open-winning duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will go out quickly looking to make up ground on the leaders heading to day two of the WGC — Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

Top names from the food, restaurant, and tourism sectors have sharply criticised the Environmental Protection Agency for potentially destroying Ireland’s “clean, green” agricultural image by allowing GM potatoes to be grown in Ireland.

Bord Gáis Energy has defended its move to use the space occupied by a now-closed award-wining restaurant as a canteen for its staff.

WHEN the Great Southern Hotel opened in Mulranny, rail travel was king.

The acclaimed Augustine’s restaurant in Cork city is closing down despite its renown among critics and customers.

Asian stocks rose today as investors stayed calm in the face of a possible debt default by Greece to search for good deals in technology shares boosted by stunning results from Apple.

THE European Tour and sponsors, the Andalucian Tourist Board, must have been furious the Andalucian Masters was bypassed by many marquee names in favour of the Shanghai Masters.

EVEN titleholders have aspirations and the 2010 Irish Open champion Ross Fisher is no different from the rest of the field this week in looking at Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke’s major victories as a spur to further personal success.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have played down claims that the high wear rate of the new Pirelli tyres is posing a danger to Formula One drivers.

CORK’S Phoenix Street, and there are back streets like it in every town and city in the world, is unlikely to feature in any architect’s primer, at least in any positive way.

McLaren today came out fighting ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday after being written off throughout pre-season.

Red Bull Racing lived up to their billing as title favourites ahead of the new Formula One season by blitzing their rivals in first practice ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have both expressed concerns that McLaren are already playing catch-up this season.

US RYDER CUP captain Corey Pavin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after surveying the leaderboard at the end of the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in Akron.

Lewis Hamilton is back on top of the Formula One standings for the first time in 18 months after a stunning Canadian Grand Prix win.

Ferrari has launched an attack on the sport's governing body, the FIA, as French manufacturer Renault discusses its future in the sport.

FORMULA ONE manufacturer Renault are understood to have held a board meeting in Paris yesterday relating to their involvement in the sport.

Toyota today confirmed they are pulling out of Formula One with immediate effect for financial reasons.

Bridgestone Motorsport have announced they are pulling out of Formula One at the end of next season.

TWO badly hooked tee shots at the 10th and 12th holes cost Pádraig Harrington dearly in the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Norton Course in Boston last night.

FOR what seems like the umpteenth time in the past few months, Pádraig Harrington attempts to revive his ailing golf career.

Jenson Button will get the chance to see his prospective new team-mates in action next week when the Honda Formula One team begin their winter testing programme in Spain.

Felipe Massa scored a hat-trick of Turkish Grand Prix victories following a fascinating tactical battle with Lewis Hamilton.

Crisis-torn Super Aguri today finally withdrew from the 2008 Formula One world championship.

HONDA continued to underline their recent improvement as Rubens Barrichello led the way on the second day of testing in Barcelona.

Reigning Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso completed just one installation lap as rain in Spain dominated the second day of testing at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya.

DEFENDING world champion Fernando Alonso believes McLaren will still need to up the ante if they are to challenge Ferrari for victories this season.

WORLD champion Fernando Alonso is confident his switch from Renault to McLaren will enable him to pursue a third successive championship title.