Graeme McDowell and Pádraig Harrington, 2nd and 4th in the US Open, spearhead the home challenge in next week’s Irish Open at Royal Portrush.

In contrast to Rory McIlroy’s club-throwing antics, Graeme McDowell showed remarkable grace under pressure as he closed bogey-par-triple bogey at Wentworth.

It was a year ago at Wentworth that Luke Donald ascended to the top of the golfing pile, outlasting Lee Westwood in a play-off to win the BMW PGA Championship and oust his fellow Englishman as world number one.

BARRIE TRAINOR pressed the pedal over the weekend to take the chequered flag in the final lap of the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet in association with Ping and Bord Fáilte.

SIMON DYSON has his sights on a third KLM Open title in six years after a 65 at Hilversum on a day delayed first by vandals and then by floods in the Netherlands.

AND your leading Irishman after 18 holes of the Irish Open is.... Colm Moriarty.

BARRIE TRAINOR’S good form has closed the gap on Irish PGA Order of Merit leader David Higgins as the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet, in association with Ping, continues.

THREE major champions will be among the 27 home golfers taking part in the Irish Open Championship at Killarney from July 28 to 31.

A DOUBLE eagle blast on the back nine shot Barrie Trainor to the top of the leaderboard at Malahide in the north Dublin club’s annual pro-am tournament.

TWELVE months ago, Rory McIlroy arrived in Dubai leading the Euro-pean Tour order of merit but was caught on the line by the fast finishing Lee Westwood.

“THE Irish Open has regained its status as one of the premier events on the European Tour.”

THERE is a strong Irish field in Killarney this week. Some are better known than others.

KILLARNEY, the 3 Irish Open and Englishman David Howell were the winners after yesterday’s outstanding opening round of the national golf championship.

MICHAEL COLLINS shares a name with one of Ireland’s most iconic figures but now the Cork native is desperate to be remembered for achievements of his own.

NOW that Ireland is providing two of the three vice captains to the European Ryder Cup cause, and possibly three players to the team itself, this must be regarded as the golden era for golf in this country.

THE field for the ‘3’ Irish Open at Killarney’s Golf and Fishing Club (July 29-August 1) was yesterday boosted by the inclusion of Rory McIlroy, the weekend’s PGA championship winner Simon Khan and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.

THE Team Ireland Golf Trust yesterday announced grants worth €217,000 to 17 aspiring men and women pursuing careers on professional tours around the world.

DONEGAL giant Michael McGeady feared he might have thrown away his chance of appearing in this week’s 3 Irish Open at Baltray when he faltered over the closing six holes of the Italian Open in Turin on Sunday.

GALWAY’S dream of an unprecedented hat-trick at the Bulmers inter-club festival of golf was shattered at Rosslare yesterday when they lost in agonising fashion in the finals of both the Barton Shield and Irish Junior Cup.

GALWAY’S golfers are all set to atone for the defeat of their hurlers by Cork in Sunday’s All-Ireland final following a fruitful opening day in the Bulmers inter-club festival at Rosslare.

AS Paul McGinley and co play for the £1 million first prize in the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, other matters are taxing the minds of hundreds of hopefuls all over Europe.

GALWAY GOLF CLUB go in search of a rare treble at Rosslare this week when they contest the finals of the Bulmers Irish Senior and Junior Cups and Barton Shield.

DARREN CROWE, a 24-year-old full-time golfer from Dunmurry, meets Pat Murray, 34, secretary/manager at Limerick Golf Club, in the first semi-final of the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch this morning.