Every year around this time our neighbours across the Irish Sea treat the sporting world to a bonanza of world class events like the British Grand Prix, Wimbledon and the Open Championship.

More players will make the halfway cut in the Masters this year after Augusta National chairman Billy Payne announced changes to the system used for 50 years.

First Keegan Bradley at the US PGA Championship last August, then Webb Simpson at the US Open last month, now a British Open one-two of Ernie Els and Adam Scott.

TIGER WOODS will not be at Sandwich for next week’s Open Championship — the second time he has missed the event in four years.

Tiger Woods saw playing partners Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera hole early long birdie putts when the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open began at Gut Kaden in Hamburg today.