Rory McIlroy will be judged by his major wins but some victories are more significant than others and Monday’s comeback triumph in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston may well go down as a watershed in the Co Down man’s career.

Preparation is everything at elite level but if you’re wondering why Rory McIlroy is not firing on all cylinders heading into his defence of the US PGA at Oak Hill, just ask his putting coach, Dave Stockton.

The number of US homes heading towards repossession more than doubled in the first quarter from a year earlier, as weakening property values and tighter lending left many owners powerless to prevent them from being auctioned to the highest bidder, a research firm said today.