You do not have to win the Tour Championship to top the FedEx Cup rankings and pick up the $10 million jackpot on Sunday night — but it sure helps.

Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell are within striking distance at the halfway stage of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

The US Open has traditionally thrown up a diverse bunch of surprise first round leaders with amateur Scottie Scheffler and PGA Tour rookie Andrew Landry the latest to join the bunch at a rain-lashed Oakmont.

It is 25 years since Ian Woosnam became Masters champion and yesterday a painful back condition finally caught up with the Welshman as far as playing Augusta National is concerned.

Jordan Spieth immediately set his sights on improving on an “unreal” season after clinching the FedEx Cup title with victory in the Tour Championship yesterday.

Jason Day has plenty of rivals at the moment, but very few peers.

As exciting as it was to finally get the US PGA Championship underway yesterday, I found all the waffle and verbal tripe annoying. Talking for the sake of talking is boring and for a game that is haemorrhaging membership numbers in the US and in Europe, the conversation could have been a little more informed at times too.

Fit-again Rory McIlroy will not add tournaments to his 2015 schedule in order to make up lost time for his injury-enforced absence this summer.

Jordan Spieth looks set to head into the Open Championship in top form after recording the best round of his PGA Tour career to take the lead at the John Deere Classic this weekend.

Rory McIlroy admitted he would need more of the same over the weekend after a second round 66 was not enough to move closer to leader Morgan Hoffmann in the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Despite a mid-round mishap Darren Clarke has put his new slimmed-down frame into contention to end a more than two-year winless drought at the Valspar Championship in Tampa, Florida.

American John Mallinger could not repeat his day-two fireworks but did enough to hold a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Frys.com Open in California.

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Juvic Pagunsan will battle it out for the Singapore Open title tomorrow morning after bad weather forced the suspension of their sudden-death play-off at Sentosa Golf Club.

A POOR putt for par on the final hole robbed Peter Lawrie of finishing second on his own at the close of the Volvo China Open in Chenghu.

Nicolas Colsaerts secured a four-shot victory at the Volvo China Open to lift his first European Tour title.

YOUNG Italian golfer Matteo Manassero, with Coleraine caddy Ryan McGuigan calling the shots, has become the youngest winner on the European Tour in capturing the Castellon Masters in Spain.

Matteo Manassero became the youngest winner in European Tour history today after triumphing by four shots at the Castello Masters in Spain.

An eagle on the 18th gave England’s Kenneth Ferrie an opening round of six under par at the KLM Open in Hilversum, but it was playing partner Nicolas Colsaerts who claimed the early clubhouse lead.

FOUR Irish amateurs have the opportunity to emulate Shane Lowry’s amazing success at Baltray last year and upstage the professionals in the ‘3’ Irish Open Championship.

Glasgow 29 Newport Gwent Dragons 25

A storming finish to his round enabled Trevor Fisher Jnr to share a five-way tie at the top of a clustered leaderboard after day one of the Africa Open in East London today.

England's Ross McGowan went to the turn in a brilliant 30 strokes to take over the Madrid Masters lead.

The full list of 28 teams for golf’s World Cup in China on November 26-29 has now been confirmed.

THOMAS BJORN, chairman of the European Tour players’ committee, has heavily criticised Pádraig Harrington for his reaction to a possible tightening up of membership rules.

Dragons 23 Connacht 10

All Black scrum half Danny Lee will make his first start for The Dragons in their home match against Connacht in the Magner's League at Rodney Parade on Saturday at 4.30pm.

Dragons centre centre Ashley Smith has been asked to captain his side against Munster in the Magner's League at Musgrave Park on Sunday (17.05).

RORY McILROY is edging ever closer to taking the lead in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai order of merit.

Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, joint third in the US PGA Championship three weeks ago, have been paired together for the start of the Ryder Cup race in Switzerland on Thursday.

Paul Lawrie did not have to look far today for a real threat to his hopes of winning the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Scotland's Paul Lawrie, whose 10-year European Tour exemption for winning The Open ends this season, leads the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles after the opening day.

France’s Gregory Havret, who led last year’s Johnnie Walker Championship from start to finish, instantly made his presence felt again at Gleneagles today.

Padraig Harrington shot his lowest round of the year to take a two-shot lead on the opening day of the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio.

Tournament host Tiger Woods saw off defending champion Anthony Kim and held off a last-round charge from Hunter Mahan to win the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club.

Tournament host Tiger Woods overcame a shaky start to his third round at Congressional Country Club to set up a final-day showdown with defending champion Anthony Kim at the AT&T National in Maryland.

Tournament host Tiger Woods overcame a shaky start to his third round at Congressional Country Club today to set up a final-day showdown with defending champion Anthony Kim at the AT&T National in Maryland.

Tiger Woods’ bid to win a third title of the year suffered a setback at Congressional Country Club today as he bogeyed the opening hole of his third round at the AT&T National in Maryland.

Tournament host Tiger Woods took charge at the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club on Friday but a back-nine collapse put paid to Paul Casey's hopes of competing over the weekend.

Tournament host Tiger Woods turned up the heat on defending champion Anthony Kim by taking the clubhouse lead in the second round of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club today.

IRISH Open hero Shane Lowry is expected to announce today that he’s turning professional with immediate effect.