Graeme McDowell may be experiencing patchy form on the golf course in 2015, but he can console himself with accumulated profits, at his commercial firm, topping $12m (€10.68m).

Excuses abounded to try and explain away the failure of the Irish golfers in the Accenture World Match Play Championship but none were convincing.

Golf superstar Graeme McDowell last night donated $200,000 (€159,000) to Crumlin Children’s Hospital.