Darren Clarke will have the honour of striking the first ball at The 148th Open on Thursday as major championship golf returns to Royal Portrush for the first time since 1951.

Padraig Harrington won at Carnoustie in 2007 and is the last player to win back-to-back titles.

LISTOWEL's Tim Healy was the man adding a bit of gold to the green of Augusta on Masters Sunday.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia got into some hot water giving new meaning to the old cliche that you can’t win the tournament on Thursday, but you sure can lose it.

Rickie Fowler produced a course record round of 61 to surge to victory in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas as Tiger Woods' challenge evaporated.

Former world number one Tiger Woods continued to exceed expectations on his latest eagerly anticipated injury comeback in the Hero World Challenge.

Former world number one Tiger Woods continued to exceed expectations on his latest eagerly-anticipated injury comeback in the Hero World Challenge.

Tommy Fleetwood would happily be responsible for a “boring” end to the season as he looks to hold off the inspired challenge of Justin Rose and win the Race to Dubai.

Dustin Johnson had a chance to win $10m while sitting in front of a television.

Rory McIlroy started his final round in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, Akron, Ohio, with three birdies in six holes to get within a stroke of the lead only to fade disappointingly around the turn and fail to put in a serious challenge over the closing holes.

Rory McIlroy staged a stirring Open Championship fightback at Royal Birkdale that will send him into today’s second round feeling he can get right among the leaders.

Jordan Spieth needed an extra hole, a little bit of luck and an amazing final shot to finish off a wire-to-wire victory in the Travelers Championship.

Ryder Cup star Patrick Reed set the early clubhouse target as the third round of the 117th US Open turned into a shootout at a rain-softened Erin Hills.

Charley Hoffman will feel right at home defending the Valero Texas Open title in San Antonio as he looks to put his Masters disappointment behind him.

Danny Willett faced a long wait to present his successor as Masters champion with a green jacket, but was at least well placed to watch a potentially thrilling shootout at Augusta National.

Here's your morning bulletin.

Rory McIlroy was disappointed to three-putt the last but pleased his game is moving in the right direction with just 17 days to go before the start of the Masters.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick remained firmly in contention to add a first PGA Tour title to his impressive CV on day two of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick claimed a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational as pre-tournament favourites Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson struggled to make an impression.

England's Matt Fitzpatrick claimed a share of the lead in the Arnold Palmer Invitational as pre-tournament favourites Rory McIlroy and Henrik Stenson struggled to make an impression.

Pádraig Harrington kissed the Masters goodbye when he found water five times and missed the cut after a disappointing 78 in the Shell Houston Open.

He may be only a kid but from what we have already seen of Jordan Spieth, it is enough to be unsurprised that the Texan will not be taking a Masters victory for granted this weekend.

Rory McIlroy stormed to a back-nine 31 that reignited his Masters dream and gave him an outside hope he could catch runaway leader Jordan Spieth.

Charley Hoffman started his day hunting for autographs and ended it as a headline act at the Masters. Hoffman is a guy who jokes his Masters experience comes as “a TV watcher”.

Jordan Spieth birdied the last at Augusta National to post a superb opening-round 64 at the Masters and throw down the gauntlet to Rory McIlroy and the rest of the field.

Webb Simpson stormed to his first win of 2013 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open by six strokes in Las Vegas.

Hunter Mahan gave up the chance of a million-dollar pay day as he pulled out of the RBC Canadian Open when his wife went into labour.

Former champion Bubba Watson took the halfway lead at the Travelers Championship after overcoming an unsteady start, but Padraig Harrington was hot on the American’s heels in Connecticut.

Ian Poulter made a brilliant start to the 113th US Open at Merion today before bad weather forced play to be suspended after less than two hours of play.

Graeme McDowell has won the RBC Heritage in South Carolina, beating US Open champion Webb Simpson in a play-off.

Graeme McDowell is four shots off the lead going into the final day of the Heritage in South Carolina.

Rory McIlroy got his third round off to a steady start to remain firmly in contention at the Valero Texas Open.

Rory McIlroy allayed fears about the state of his game by storming into contention at the Valero Texas Open.

In his previous visits to Houston, Pádraig Harrington looked as if was auditioning for a role at NASA’s nearby high-tech space facility.

Mark Kuchar holds a one-shot lead after carding a second round six-under-par 65 at The Barclays in New Jersey.

Harrison Frazar, Matt Kuchar and William McGirt were in a three-way tie for the lead when bad light brought a premature end to the first round of The Barclays in New Jersey.

BRENDAN STEELE led from start to finish on the final day of the Valero Texas Open to claim his maiden PGA Tour title.

Rich Beem finally made his first cut of the year at the Valero Texas Open and did so in some style as he took a share of the lead into the weekend.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON and Rory McIlroy were in the mix before poor light stopped play in the weather- delayed WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.

Graeme McDowell hopes to show Ryder Cup team-mate Ross Fisher today why he is now the world number four.

Tiger Woods is out of the WGC-Accenture Match Play already, beaten on the first extra hole by Dane Thomas Bjorn in today’s opening round.

Luke Donald booked his place in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship before Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood had even hit a shot in Tucson today.

Frost delayed the start of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for 30 minutes in Tucson today.

Ernie Els is expected to be back in action at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson on Wednesday after a sore neck kept him out of last week’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.