There is no escaping the sense of excitement and expectation not just amongst the members of Lahinch Golf Club but also the whole of the village and West Clare in general as the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Championship looms this week.

Shane Lowry is tied for second at the RBC Canadian Open after a superb opening round of 64 at the Hamilton Country Club in Ontario last night.

Poulter joins major winners Padraig Harrington, Danny Willett, and Graeme McDowell, former world number one Lee Westwood, and defending champion Russell Knox in the field.

The Masters is a tournament not a championship — a limited field event that’s there to be won by the man in form who displays the stomach for battle down the stretch.

Two weeks to go and the Masters hype is building nicely, writes Kevin Markham.

The not-quite-ready-for-prime-time Thanksgiving exhibition with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson produced such bad golf that Mickelson and country singer Jake Owen traded barbs about it a day later at Jordan Spieth’s wedding.

Paul McGinley has revealed the European Tour are open to moving the date of future Irish Opens in order to attract the big beasts of the PGA Tour to these shores.

Pádraig Harrington has confirmed he will return to Lahinch Golf Club for the first time since his amateur days at this July’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

Danny Willett drew on the memories his memorable 2016 Masters triumph to secure an emotional victory in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

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

From McIlroy to Tiger, we look at the talking points ahead of Augusta. 

Kevin Markham is disappointed Justin Thomas felt the need to apologise to a fan who abused him last week. Where does this new problem for golfers begin and end?

Rory McIlroy made no attempt to hide his frustration after squandering a two-shot lead with eight holes to play as China’s Li Haotong claimed the biggest win of his career in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Rory McIlroy hopes Tiger Woods’ return to competitive golf will help him duck some of the scrutiny when he heads to Augusta in April in search of his first Masters win.

Rory McIlroy will pursue a first win since September 2016 with a "spring in his step" after exceeding expectations on his return to action.

Tournament host Sergio Garcia claimed a share of the lead after the first round of his belated title defence in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

Tournament host Sergio Garcia claimed a share of the lead after the first round of his belated title defence in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters.

With another US victory in the Presidents Cup, the Ryder Cup is officially on the clock. September 28, Day One of the competition next year, can’t come soon enough. But in the meantime, Team Europe’s captain Thomas Bjorn should be afraid. He should be very afraid. Just ask International Team captain Nick Price.

Tyrrell Hatton bemoaned missing out on the launch of FIFA 18 as he remained on course for some real silverware at the halfway stage of the British Masters.

Rory McIlroy could only add a 69 to his opening 67 to lie eight shots off the pace on four under alongside former Masters champion Danny Willett.

Rory McIlroy will subject himself to a comprehensive health MOT as he aims to make his second decade as a professional even more successful than the first.

Rory McIlroy concedes his late entry into the British Masters was influenced by the desire to avoid further accusations of receiving favourable treatment.

Jimmy Walker fired a second round 65 to move to the top of the leaderboard in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron.

If nothing else, the 146th Open Championship will go down as the major of the meaningful caddie intervention.

Australia's Aaron Baddeley gave hope to Jordan Spieth's rivals as the final round of the 146th Open Championship got under way at Royal Birkdale.

English duo Danny Willett and Ian Poulter made the early running on the first day of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

Former champion Mark O'Meara had a nightmare start with a quadruple-bogey eight as he got the 146th Open Championship under way at Royal Birkdale in rainy and breezy conditions.

Rickie Fowler isn’t sponsored by an Italian tyre manufacturer but their slogan summed up the Californian’s stunning 65 in the opening round of the US Open to perfection.

Scott Jamieson recovered from a nightmare start to his second round to claim a share of the halfway lead in the BMW PGA Championship, an event he labelled the “pinnacle” of his season.

Ernie Els believes he got two major decisions right after calling a penalty on himself in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship.

All roads lead north for the 2017 Irish Open, writes Kevin Markham

Peter O’Keeffe will never make a cent playing golf again but if the new Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion had his time again, he knows from painful experience the key to success is not just innate talent but a big, fat wallet to match an insatiable appetite for hard work.

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.

Jordan Spieth had a year to replay the moment his Masters title defence sank without trace. Last night, he buried the demons that had followed him since, yet contrived to create some new ones.

World number one Dustin Johnson has withdrawn from the Masters after injuring his back in a fall on Wednesday.

Happy, relaxed and unstressed. Rory McIlroy believes he is in the right frame of mind to finally conquer the Masters but he will also have to tame his demon holes at Augusta National and stop the hottest player in golf.

Nothing comes easy at Augusta, but some puzzles are more difficult to solve than others. Kevin Markham tackles the Masters toughest tests...

Larry Mize hit one of the greatest golf shots of all time to clinch the 1987 Masters, chipping in from off the 11th to defeat Greg Norman on the second extra hole.

Jordan Spieth knows he should be teeing off at Augusta National tomorrow as only the fourth back-to-back winner of the Masters. Instead, he has spent the past 12 months politely answering questions about why he didn’t.

World number one Dustin Johnson faces a lengthy wait before beginning his bid for a fourth straight victory and a second major title in this week's Masters.

Rory McIlroy’s bid for an elusive first U.S. Masters title and the grand slam of golf’s major championships has received an unexpected boost from the long-range weather forecast.

World number two Rory McIlroy faces an uphill battle to regain the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play title after losing to Soren Kjeldsen in their opening group match in Austin.

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.