Rory McIlroy has cut down on the distractions as he attempts to complete the career grand slam at Augusta this week.

Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington will continue his bid to stop his slide down the world rankings in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi this week.

Rory McIlroy came from seven shots behind to claim a remarkable victory in the BMW PGA Championship today as overnight leader Thomas Bjorn squandered a five-shot lead at Wentworth.

Gordon Elliot’s Bayan justified favouritism with a game display in the featured Races Supporters’ Club Lartigue Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

The Tommy Stack-trained Wannabe Better, clearly improving at a rate of knots, created a mild surprise when taking the featured Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes at Killarney last night.

Jamie Piggott, son of the legendary Lester, will try to follow in his father’s footsteps when he has his first ride in public at Killarney today.

Wonderfully, a full-sister to Mars, defied a significant market drift to make a successful debut in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden at Fairyhouse last night.

Johnny Murtagh saddled his first winner as a trainer today when Benbecula ran out an easy victor of the August Festival 15th to 18th Rated Race at Tramore.

The Denis Hogan-trained Inis Meain, bought by Barry Connell as a hurdler, booked his ticket to Royal Ascot when landing the listed Martin Molony Stakes, feature of yesterday’s action in Limerick.

Always a force at the track, Michael Halford completed a double with favourites Rummaging and Won Diamond in Dundalk last night.

Loch Garman, named after his trainer Jim Bolger’s beloved native county, proved himself an exciting prospect when making a successful debut in the Irish Tote Betting Now Available in Paddy Power Shops 2-Y-0 Maiden in Navan yesterday.

Winner of a listed event at the Curragh last time, Three Sea Captains successfully conceded weight to his rivals in the €125,000 Tattersalls Ireland Super Auction Sales Stakes in Fairyhouse yesterday.

The remarkable Inis Meain, a tremendous success story over the last few months for Denis Hogan, did it again at Listowel yesterday when landing the featured Guinness Handicap.

Joseph O’Brien emerged from rain-lashed Ballybrit last night with a 55/1 treble, achieved on Eye Of The Storm, Cairdiuil and Chamonix, and a two-day careless riding ban handed down after a manoeuvre on Chamonix before the halfway point of the featured Ardilaun Hotel Oyster Stakes.

Tiger Woods fell off the pace at the BMW Championship in Carmel today, allowing Rory McIlroy and Vijay Singh to share the lead.

Dermot Weld’s Impound turned over Aidan O’Brien’s odds-on Hall Of Mirrors in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Breeders’ Maiden at sun-kissed Killarney yesterday.

Punters enjoyed a bonanza in Ballinrobe last night as five favourites, including two odds-on shots, obliged.

The Jim Bolger-trained Annie Power sent punters home happy when powering to victory in the Enniscorthy Mares Flat Race in rain-soaked Wexford last night.

Willie Mullins took his score for the truncated Tramore festival to six when Sweet My Lord made an excellent start over fences in the Beginners Chase yesterday.

Pat Flynn and Danny Grant shared a 69/1 double with Final Flashback and Al Mancillia in sunny Wexford last night.

Were golf a team sport and he had a friendship with Harry Sinden, Lee Westwood, perhaps, would be in better position for a Major title.

The Jim Dreaper-trained Go All The Way made a fine start over fences when cruising to victory in the John Buckley Auctioneers’ Beginners Chase at Killarney last night.

Classy hurdler Steps To Freedom proved the equine star of yesterday’s action in Dundalk, defying top-weight of 10-3 and justifying strong support in the two-mile Boylesports.com Handicap to spark a double for trainer Jessica Harrington and Fran Berry.

Curragh trainer John Oxx landed the listed Lenebane Stakes for the fourth time in five years in Roscommon last night as 12/1 shot Aklan held the late surge of the Michael Halford-trained favourite Massiyn, also owned by the Aga Khan, by a short-head in a thrilling blanket-finish.

Major winner Keegan Bradley’s first-ever tournament in Europe lasted only two days, but the American believes he is now better equipped for The Open at Royal Lytham in three weeks.

It is not just the luck of the Irish that American Keegan Bradley is hoping for at Royal Portrush this week.

Sharestan landed his first listed victory when getting the better of front-running Defining Year in the Coolmore Stud China Ireland Friendship Silver Srakes at the Curragh yesterday.

Ireland's Peter Lawrie this afternoon moved into the lead at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Lee Westwood maintained his daily average of six birdies at windy Wentworth today – but once again paid a big price for one bad shot.

Ryder Cup hopeful Simon Dyson is out of this week's BMW PGA Championship - the European Tour's flagship event as he tries to shake off a stressed hip injury.

The crowds will be big and the world’s top three golfers, Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, headline the €4.5m tournament, but for all the prestige surrounding the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship event is very much a parochial affair.

The big guns of Irish golf will contest this week’s BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship tournament, at Wentworth.

All-American nice guy Matt Kuchar playfully told the media to “suck it” after clinching the US PGA Players Championship and its $1.7 million (€1.3m) winner’s cheque.

American Matt Kuchar won golf’s richest event at Sawgrass on Sunday night – and denied Scotland’s Martin Laird for the second time in his career.

Rickie Fowler has given himself the chance of back-to-back wins after a brilliant third-round charge in the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Rory McIlroy took some solace from returning to the top of the world rankings after missing out on a second Wells Fargo Championship title to Rickie Fowler in a play-off.

Lee Westwood’s successful defence of the Indonesian Masters title was not enough to lift him above Rory McIlroy at the top of the golf world rankings.

Matt Every shot a new course record to take a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open last night.

Eye drops were of little comfort to Graeme McDowell at a windswept Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha yesterday.

HURRICANE FLY was named Horse of the Year at the annual Irish Horse Racing Awards ceremony at Leopardstown yesterday.

ALFA BEAT, successful in the race a year earlier, did the business again when storming to victory in yesterday’s Guinness Kerry National at Listowel.

NORTHGATE, ridden by champion jockey Pat Smullen, romped to an impressive victory in Her Majesty’s Plate, feature of yesterday’s action at Down Royal.

The bells are ringing for America’s new golf star Keegan Bradley – but they could also be sounding more bad news to come for struggling superstar Tiger Woods.

Keegan Bradley won golf's final Major from five shots behind the leader with three to play tonight and with good reason said: "I can't believe it."