BALLYBUNION, one of the world’s finest links courses, will be the ideal home to the 13th AIB Irish Seniors Open which begins on Friday.

DES SMYTH has called up an old friend as he plots a successful defence of the $500,000 Arcapita Seniors Tour Championship in Bahrain, the final event of the 2006 European Seniors Tour season.

NICK DOUGHERTY’S dream of a first head-to-head with Tiger Woods was close to becoming reality after the second round of the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai.

SCOTLAND'S Sam Torrance returns to the European Seniors Tour today looking to turn up the heat on Order of Merit leader Carl Mason of England in one of Continental Europe's golfing hotspots, the Algarve.

England's Carl Mason inched one step closer to winning a third consecutive European Seniors Tour Order of Merit title when he carded a four under par 68 after the first round of the Castellon Costa Azahar Open.

Sam Torrance and Carl Mason both carded two under par rounds of 70 to maintain their lead after the second round of the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship at De Vere Carden Park.

GREG NORMAN birdied three of the last four holes to halve Craig Stadler’s commanding four-stroke lead in the Senior British Open over Royal Aberdeen’s Balgownie links.

IRELAND’S Des Smyth blew his chance to lead the field near the end of a long wind-wrecked opening day in the British Open seniors championship over Royal Aberdeen Golf Club’s Balgownie Links yesterday.

Ireland's Des Smyth blew his chance to lead the field near the end of a long wind-wrecked opening day in the British Open seniors championship over Royal Aberdeen Golf Club’s Balgownie Links this evening.

ENGLAND’S Carl Mason stormed back to the top of the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit he has dominated for the last two seasons when he closed with a four under par 65 to claim the £75,000 first prize at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open at Royal St David’s in Harlech.

EAMONN DARCY has his sights set on the second richest prize in European Seniors Tour golf when he tees up in the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open which starts at the Royal St David’s GC in Harlech this morning.

CARL MASON claimed his 10th European Seniors Tour title when he carded a closing three-under-par 69 to win the De Vere Northumberland Seniors Classic over the Priestman course at Slaley Hall.

Englishman Carl Mason carded a course-record nine under par 63 to take a five-stroke lead in the Northumberland Seniors Classic at Slaley Hall.

Australia’s Noel Ratcliffe and Argentina’s Luis Carbonetti share the lead heading into the final round of the AIB Irish Seniors Open at The Heritage, Killenard.

Charlie Mulqueen, The Heritage

FIFTEEN YEAR-OLD West of Ireland champion Rory McIlroy has been selected to compete in the Nissan Irish Open Championship at Carton House Golf Club next month.

Carl Mason assumed his usual position at the top of the European Seniors Tour leaderboard after second round of four under par 68 took the Englishman into a three- way tie for first place at the Tobago Plantations Seniors Classic.

Scotland’s Sam Torrance triumphed for the first time in the senior game when he won the Travis Perkins Senior Masters at Wentworth Club after equalling the lowest round shot on the European Seniors Tour.

England’s Carl Mason claimed his seventh title in the space of a year on the European Seniors Tour when he defeated compatriot Jim Rhodes and Japan’s Seiji Ebihara in a sudden-death play-off at the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship.

MARK MCNULTY, the Zimbabwean who took out Irish citizenship late last year, stayed on course for his first victory in his new homeland after easing himself into the race for the Senior British Open championship at a windswept Royal Portrush.

IT'S little wonder golfers can't wait to reach their 50th birthday these days. Carl Mason won just twice on the regular European Tour, but when he turned 50 at the end of June last year he quickly fattened up his pension fund.

England's Carl Mason has won the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor Golf Club today.

Three players are tied for the lead after the second round of the AIB Irish Seniors Open today.

England's Carl Mason leads the field at the AIB Irish Seniors on five under par.

Christy O’Connor Jnr's hopes of making an immediate imprint on the €330,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor this afternoon were dashed as the 55-year-old three-putted on four occasions for a round of 75.

The United States retained the UBS Cup after a dramatic 12-12 tie with the Rest of the World at Sea Island.

The United States tonight retained the UBS Cup after a dramatic 12-12 tie with the Rest of the World at Sea Island.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE and Bernhard Langer reproduced their Ryder Cup form to inspire the Rest of the World to a slender 3½ to 2½ lead over the United States after the opening day of the UBS Cup.

Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer reproduced their Ryder Cup form to inspire the Rest of the World to a slender 3 1/2 to 2 1/2 lead over the United States after the opening day of the UBS Cup.

Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer today carried on where they left off in last year’s Ryder Cup on the opening day of the UBS Cup in Georgia.

Tony Jacklin will put his famed captaincy skills to the test once again when the Rest of the World take on the United States in the third UBS Cup.

ENGLAND’S Carl Mason consolidated his place at the top of the European Seniors Tour Order of Merit when he defeated Denis O’Sullivan by one hole in a dramatic final at the Daily Telegraph/ Turismo Andaluz Seniors Match Play Championship.

CARL MASON’S dream of winning the 2003 European Seniors Tour Order of Merit moved a step closer when he defeated Spain’s Manuel Pinero on the 20th hole of an epic second round match at The Daily Telegraph/Turismo Andaluz Seniors Matchplay Championship at the Los Flamingos Golf Club near Marbella, Spain.

DENIS O’SULLIVAN didn’t win, but a brilliant eight iron across water at the final hole, then a holed putt from five feet gave him the much-needed birdie for a tied second place yesterday in the De Vere PGA Seniors Championship.

IRELAND’S Arthur Pierse was crowned leading amateur at the Senior British Open in Turnberry for the third year in succession when he closed with a four-over-par 74 to finish in a share of 62nd place on six-over-par 286.

AMERICA’S Tom Watson revived memories of his famous Duel in the Sun when he closed with a six-under-par 64 and then defeated England’s Carl Mason on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off at the Senior British Open at Turnberry.

America’s Tom Watson revived memories of his famous Duel in the Sun when he closed with a six-under-par 64 and then defeated England’s Carl Mason on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off at the Senior British Open at Tunberry.

ENGLAND’S Carl Mason upstaged both Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson when he carded a six-under-par 64 to claim a one-shot lead at the end of the second round of the Senior British Open at Turnberry yesterday.

TOM WATSON extended his love affair with the Ailsa course at Turnberry when he carded a four-under-par 66 to claim a share of the lead alongside compatriot Tom Kite after the first round of the Senior British Open.