JP McManus had a shot on his 14 handicap playing the famous 18th hole at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

IF Graeme McDowell scanned the bookmakers odds for this week’s British Open, he would have been slightly taken aback at being quoted at 30-1 compared to his young friend Rory McIlroy, who is second favourite at half those odds.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON was already in good spirits when he was informed that he would play the first two rounds of the 150th Open Championship with 60-year-old Tom Watson and Ryo Ishikawa, 18. While Harrington has been a long time fan and admirer of Watson, he has also seen enough of Iskikawa to believe he is another Watson in the making.