Darren Clarke has been located safe and well.

If failing to prepare means preparing to fail, the question about how to prepare effectively must be broached by any self-respecting high performing athlete and coach. Mind you, there is no answer that will serve everyone equally.

Graeme McDowell hailed Ireland’s newest major champion and backed Shane Lowry to finally come out from Rory McIlroy’s shadow after lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush.

Simon Lewis Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler may not have had the outcomes they wanted

If the video clips doing the rounds on social media yesterday are anything to believe, Shane Lowry has been living up to his pledge to enjoy his magnificent and well-deserved Open Championship victory.

The Co Offaly man won his maiden major championship after holding his nerve on Sunday as a superb third round put in control heading into the final 18 holes.

Rory McIlroy’s major successes are far from over, says Graeme McDowell, who has backed his friend to rebound from his Royal Portrush disappointment.

Pádraig Harrington believes Shane Lowry’s nightmare finish to the 2016 US Open at Oakmont can act as a help rather than a hindrance as the Offaly man chases a first major win at Portrush this weekend.

As your American-based golf correspondent, I’ve got a confession to make. I didn’t fancy my first pints of Guinness. In fact, I didn’t acquire a taste for it until my first trip to Ireland a little more than a decade ago and a visit to Temple Bar’s cobbled streets between the River Liffey and Dame Street in Dublin.

Lowry, who won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, holed from 35 feet for another birdie on the 10th to move two shots clear of the field.

A pre-Open Championship pep talk from coach Neil Manchip propelled a previously uneasy Lowrytowards his lowest opening round in a major and the business end of the leaderboard on a rollercoaster first day at Royal Portrush. But what would Rory McIlroy have given for Lowry’s 67 at The 148th Open?

Leave it to Maureen Madill to put into perspective how big a deal hosting the 148th Open Championship is to the membership at Royal Portrush and all of her native land.

Mission accomplished. At least for one day. James Sugrue achieved what he set out to do on his maiden round at The Open Championship by not shooting himself out of it after 18 holes.

History seems to hang from every lamppost along the Causeway Coast. Drive through the villages and town lands dotted around Portrush this week and there’s scarcely a pole devoid of a Union Jack or an Ulster Banner.

Darren Clarke stroked home a birdie at the fifth to lead The Open like he was knocking balls around in his back garden.

His wayward first ball hit a fan and cracked the screen of her mobile phone in her pocket before ending up five feet inside the out of bounds posts.

Pinch yourself. Major championship golf really is here.

About two years ago the R&A got in touch with some Dublin-based PR and advertising companies. They had a concern about the 2019 Open Championship that they wanted to throw some money at.

This week’s 148th Open at Royal Portrush is officially the most attended Championship staged outside St Andrews with the R&A announcing on Wednesday that there will be a record-breaking crowd of 237,750 for the tournament starting on Thursday.

Pádraig Harrington has predicted that the Open Championship’s return to Irish shores this week is the first step of tournament organisers the R&A taking golf’s oldest major around the world, ideally with Portmarnock as the launchpad.

When Darren Clarke hits the British Open’s first tee shot at Royal Portrush at 6.35am tomorrow an ambition many years in the making — and many, many days of heartfelt persuasion too — will come to fruition.

Pádraig Harrington may not be allowed to gamble on golf but the two-time Open champion makes a compelling case for lifting the Claret Jug a third time this Sunday.

Portrush After 68 long years, one still has to commend the R&A’s bravery to entrust Royal Portrush once more with the stewardship of the jewel in their crown — the Open Championship.

The whirlwind continues for James Sugrue as the newly-minted amateur champion starts to reap the rewards of his Portmarnock triumph with a major debut on home soil at the 148th Open.

Clarke has had life-threatening first-hand experience of The Troubles.

James Sugrue is battling an infected bite on his calf to be fit to tee off at the Open Championship on Thursday.

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.

Rory McIlroy admits he will need to reproduce the flying finish which gave him victory in the Canadian Open to win another national title in Scotland.

Rory McIlroy is only Irish player to survive the cut at the Scottish Open.

He has won four major titles, two World Golf Championship events and been on the winning Ryder Cup team four times, but there is only one round of golf where Rory McIlroy can remember every shot.

Overnight leader Padraig Harrington has dropped three shots on day two of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in Lahinch.

It will not be in the nature of the tournament host to have slept easily last night on the eve of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open but his efforts to make this €6.2m European Tour event a success have already earned Paul McGinley the right to relax just a little.

One of the most satisfying aspects of writing the 125th history of Lahinch Golf Club in 2016 was the opportunity to meet up once again with three of the most illustrious winners of the South of Ireland Championship and another who captured the Irish Close over the great links.

Shane Lowry will embrace the mantle of leading home hope at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open despite his determination to dismiss all talk of a potential victory.

Shane Lowry will get his Dubai Duty Free Irish Open campaign underway early on Thursday as part of an illustrious group also featuring Ryder Cup hero Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Russell Knox.

The design was achieved with the help of a Hollywood CGI artist.

Shane Lowry’s rollercoaster form rather than steady-Eddie consistency is the secret to real success on tour, believes Paul McGinley, who regrets not having the same golfing DNA as his fellow Irishman.

Shane Lowry’s rollercoaster form rather than steady-Eddie consistency is the secret to real success on tour, believes Paul McGinley, who regrets not having the same golfing DNA as his fellow Irishman.

Augusta can hardly be called a happy hunting ground for golfers from this island, given that no Irishman has ever pulled on the famous green jacket.

Pádraig Harrington kicked off his 2020 Ryder Cup captaincy by stating his total confidence that Rory McIlroy would be fully committed to the European cause at Whistling Straits.

Pádraig Harrington is today expected to be named as Europe’s captain for the 2020 Ryder Cup.

Before Darren Clarke tapped in his final putt to win the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s, he paused for a quiet moment, smiled at the realisation that his 20-year quest was finally complete, and said a few words to himself.

The race for Order of Merit points is adding an interesting subplot to this week’s Irish PGA Championship at Galway Bay Golf Resort (Thursday thru Saturday, October 11-13).

If Pádraig Harrington does get the nod to lead Europe into the 2020 Ryder Cup, as many expect he will, then he could not be happier with the course that the PGA of America has chosen to host the biennial team event.