USA Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III was last night close to tears as he praised Phil Mickelson’s leadership skills as the left-hander prepares to make an American record ninth appearance at Medinah tomorrow.

Not surprisingly, given the victory in the Memorial tournament, the bookmakers have installed Tiger Woods a 7/1 favourite for this week’s US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Rory McIlroy made winning the US Open last year look pretty easy but the defending champion knows this year’s championship course will not be set up with a view to further record breaking.

Pádraig Harrington may have failed to build on his career best 61 recorded in the opening round of the Transitions Championship in Florida but that Thursday display is a massive confidence booster for the three times Major champion who has slipped to 91st in the world rankings.

MIA WASIKOWSKA brings a luminous quality to the supposedly plain heroine of Jane Eyre (12A), but that’s one of the few caveats worth mentioning in relation to Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s novel.

Phil Mickelson has a dreadful Ryder Cup record.

JUSTIN HICKS and Mike Streelman leading the US Open after round one on the longest and arguably the most difficult course the players have ever encountered. What does that say about the championship?

Johnny Miller claimed three-time major winner Billy Casper had the “greatest pair of hands God ever gave a human being”. Even at 76 that was evident last week when the former Masters winner showed he had lost little of his subtlety around Fota Island in Cork. He spoke to Tom Aherne.

Even though he has won two of the last three Masters Phil Mickelson admits he is “a little nervous” about the start of his title defence at Augusta tomorrow.

Tiger Woods' latest golfing feat has been hailed as “an amazing accomplishment” by the man likely to partner him at next month’s Ryder Cup.

In the month he celebrates 10 years as a professional, Tiger Woods achieved his 50th US Tour win, from a mere 196 events.

Gary Player called on the spirit of Winston Churchill today as he teed off in his 49th Masters.

Former Open champion Mark Calcavecchia and South African David Frost add a little extra international flavour to the Telecom Italian Open in Milan this week.

England’s David Howell went on a spectacular second round charge to share the lead with Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald and American Chris DiMarco on his Masters debut at Augusta National today – before rain ended play for the day at lunchtime.

England’s David Howell went on a spectacular second-round charge to share the lead with Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald and American Chris DiMarco on his Masters debut at Augusta National today – before rain held up play again.

Luke Donald took less than 15 minutes to move into a share of the lead when the Masters resumed at Augusta today.

Just as he rose to the occasion on his Ryder Cup debut last September, England’s Luke Donald is already making his presence felt at his first Masters.

Solid performances from Ireland’s Pádriag Harrington and Darren Clarke have seen them remain well in contention as the 69th Masters championship began after a lengthy rain delay at Augusta National.

Darren Clarke has been paired with Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood with Vijay Singh for the first two rounds of the Masters on Thursday and Friday.

There will be a new-look play-off in the Masters this Sunday if two or more players tie.

WORLD number one Tiger Woods may have thought he had achieved all he could in golf, but the authors of a new book have given the great one a fresh challenge.

Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson today said he regretted that 1967 winner Gay Brewer did not attend the Masters champions dinner on Tuesday night after being asked not to play this year.

Doug Ford, 80 this August, will not be making it 50 Masters at Augusta next month.

Rain clouds threatened overhead as what could be an historic Masters began in Augusta today.