Golfers around the world are waiting to hear if long putters are to be banned — or at least the way many currently use them is banned.

Augusta National’s decision to have women members for the first time inevitably means the spotlight will fall even more now on the Royal and Ancient Club, golf’s ruling body for most of the world.

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

Darren Clarke admitted today as the rain hammered down at Royal Lytham that his golf game was not the only thing in need of some repair – so was the Claret Jug.

One practice round today was enough to tell Padraig Harrington that it is no ordinary Irish Open this week.

IT has frustrated weekend golfers the world over in their moment of glory.

If Darren Clarke had his way, the Open would be held at Royal Portrush every year.

Tiger Woods is out of the Open – and soon he will be out of the world’s top 20 as well.

Tiger Woods will not be at Sandwich for next week’s Open Championship – the second time he has missed the event in four years.

The winner of next month’s Open Championship at Sandwich will receive £900,000 - £50,000 more than South African Louis Oosthuizen earned at St Andrews last July.

Padraig Harrington is “absolutely gutted” that he is not fit enough to play in this week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

A RORY McILROY victory in the British Open this summer would “raise the roof” at Sandwich, it was claimed yesterday.

THE chances of Tiger Woods losing a ball with his first shot in this year’s Open Championship — as he did the last time the event was at Sandwich — have been severely reduced.

A Rory McIlroy victory in the Open this summer would “raise the roof” at Sandwich, it was claimed today.

The chances of Tiger Woods losing a ball with his first shot in this year’s Open Championship – as he did the last time the event was at Sandwich – have been severely reduced.

GOLF’S governing bodies have changed the ruling which cost Padraig Harrington disqualification after an opening 65 in Abu Dhabi in January.

Golf’s governing bodies have changed the ruling which cost Padraig Harrington disqualification after an opening 65 in Abu Dhabi in January.

Martin Kaymer is on course to retain the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and take the world number two spot off Tiger Woods after a scintillating second-round 65 today.

Two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington has become the first “Working for Golf” ambassador for the sport’s ruling Royal and Ancient Club.

The 3 Irish Open Golf Championship is underway in Killarney, Co, Kerry today.

A field of just 44 will be chasing three places in July’s Open Championship at St Andrews tomorrow and Friday.

Seve Ballesteros, who is still recovering from a brain tumour, is among the golfing stars who have been invited to compete in the Champions Challenge on the eve of next July’s Open at St Andrews.

Tom Watson will be able to go on playing in The Open beyond next year’s championship at St Andrews.

DOUBLE Open champion Pádraig Harrington believes Olympic gold would be the ‘rarest and most prized achievement’ for any golfer.

GOLF and rugby sevens face one last test on Friday if they are to be included in the Olympics from 2016. The International Olympic Committee’s executive board voted to include both at a meeting two months ago.

Padraig Harrington and Michelle Wie are to participate in golf’s final presentation of its Olympic bid to International Olympic Committee members in Copenhagen on Friday.

OPEN Championship runner-up Tom Watson has turned down the chance to play in next week’s USPGA Championship in Minnesota.

Jean Van de Velde is still looking for a place in The Open with less than two weeks to go – but he has the chance to not leave it quite so late as last year.

Muirfield in Scotland will host the 2013 Open, it was announced today.

Paul Lawrie’s golf foundation, which supports junior golf in the north-east of Scotland, has been given a £25,000 (€29,491) grant by the Royal and Ancient Club.

Padraig Harrington was delighted to regain possession of a “shinier” Claret Jug after claiming his second Open Championship in succession in superb style on a windswept final day at Royal Birkdale.

Winds gusting to speeds approaching 50mph were today playing havoc with the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Jean Van de Velde kept alive his hopes of returning to the Open Championship with a two-under-par 70 in final qualifying at Hillside today – and was then promised protection for the second round.

For 212 assorted amateurs and professionals the dream of playing in The Open at Birkdale is still alive following yesterday’s 16 regional qualifying tournaments around Ireland and Britain.

Paul McGinley’s slide outside the world’s top 150 has not stopped him believing “there is a lot more good golf left in me” – and at Wentworth today he made a lot of other people believe it too.

THE WINNING of a major should be one of those must-see moments in a golf season.

The Open at Royal Birkdale this summer will not be the first major championship ever to test players for drugs.

Colin Montgomerie was described as “a great man” by the chairman of Augusta National Golf Club. But the comment did not come accompanied by an invitation to next year’s Masters.

The two-shot penalty which cost American Jeff Maggert so dearly when he was leading the 2003 Masters will no longer be imposed under new Rules of Golf coming into force next year.

Sergio Garcia overcame early nerves and retained his two-stroke lead in the Open at Carnoustie today – with more than a little help from an off-form Tiger Woods.

Tiger Woods, golf’s greatest-ever front-runner, looks like having to make a charge from behind on Sunday if he is to make it three Open victories in a row at Carnoustie.

Sergio Garcia overcame early nerves and remained the man to catch in the Open at Carnoustie today – with more than a little help from an off-form Tiger Woods.

South African great Gary Player claims he is certain there are players in golf today taking drugs.

Total prize money for the Open Championship at Carnoustie in two weeks’ time will be £4.2m, an increase of £200,000 on last year.