Seve Ballesteros, who is still recovering from a brain tumour, is among the golfing stars who have been invited to compete in the Champions Challenge on the eve of next July’s Open at St Andrews.

THE OPEN Championship will return to Turnberry some time, but the prospects of it ever coming to a course on this island are remote.

TOURNAMENT officials have played down fears crowd numbers at this week’s Open Championship could be significantly lower than usual. A combination of the recession and the difficulty of travelling to, and securing accommodation near Turnberry had led to predictions that the attendance would be badly hit.

It is now 58 years since the North staged its one and only Open Championship, but Darren Clarke believes Royal Portrush deserves to be considered as a venue again.

TIGER WOODS has been out on the Turnberry links for the last two mornings while the vast majority of us were still fast asleep.

Muirfield in Scotland will host the 2013 Open, it was announced today.

Justin Rose today spoke of his astonishment that golf’s hottest player at the moment is not at the Open Championship this week.

BRISTOL secured their third win of the season against Harlequins at the Memorial Stadium yesterday to keep the pressure on Cardiff Blues at the top of Heineken Cup Pool Three.

DAVID HILL kicked Bristol to the most notable win in their Heineken Cup history as tournament favourites Stade Francais suffered a surprise Pool Three defeat.

Cardiff Blues 34 Bristol 18

Royal St George's in Sandwich and Royal Lytham & St Annes have been named as the venues for the 2011 and 2012 Open Championships.

TONY BLAIR will finally bid farewell to No 10 today after his last appearance at the Commons Despatch Box.

Demand is certain to exceed supply after the decision to put a crowd limit of 10,000 on Britain and Ireland’s attempt to regain the Walker Cup – the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup – at Royal County Down in the North on September 8-9.

Connacht failed to halt stop Bath’s European Challenge Cup run with a 36-24 win at the Sportsgrounds in Galway tonight.

Spectators at the Open golf championship are being advised to apply due diligence after ‘Fire Risk’ warnings were posted on giant leaderboards around the Royal Liverpool course today.

MUSKERRY’S Niall Turner has gained a place in the final ‘local’ qualifier for the British Open Championship at Hoylake, Royal Liverpool on July 20/23.

Ireland have a worry over full-back Geordan Murphy ahead of Saturday’s second Test against New Zealand in Auckland.

South African-born Greg Rawlinson will make his debut for the All Blacks along with Clarke Dermody against Ireland at the Waikato Stadium in Hamilton on Saturday.

South African-born lock Greg Rawlinson has been called into the New Zealand squad ahead of their Tests against Ireland and Argentina.

The R&A have announced that Turnberry will host the 2009 Open Championship from July 16-19.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie are on holiday in Barbados, Downing Street disclosed today.

CARLOS SPENCER will make his farewell appearance in New Zealand from the bench after being named in the New Zealand Maori reserves for their match against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday.

Eleven current or former All Blacks including Carlos Spencer have been named in the New Zealand Maori squad for matches against Fiji and the British and Irish Lions next month.

An astonishing 53 players failed to take up the chance to win a place in the Open championship at the international qualifying competition in America today.

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair’s top spin doctor was branded “insensitive” yesterday for suggesting the Paris airport disaster was an opportunity to highlight French transport failings.

Donations to Sinn Féin from large companies such as Coca-Cola are "totally unacceptable" the British House of Commons heard today.

A POWERFUL civil servant with permanent secretary rank is to take charge of the British government's new communications strategy, Downing Street announced yesterday today.

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL yesterday became the first member of British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s senior circle to fall on his sword over the war on Iraq.

Alastair Campbell today confirmed his resignation as British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Director of Communications and Strategy, leaving within four to five weeks to be replaced by former Labour communications chief David Hill.

David Hill will succeed Alastair Campbell at 10 Downing Street but operate a new communications structure, British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said tonight.

Tiger Woods will be £700,000 (€1,1m) richer if he can add another British Open title to his collection of major honours this summer.

Jeff Wilson and Christian Cullen have been omitted from John Mitchell’s first New Zealand squad.

Farmers in south west England are to learn whether the outbreak of foot and mouth disease has spread across the region from a Devon farm where it has been confirmed.