It was said many years ago but the hellish pronouncement of the founder and designer Henry Clay Fownes should be posted on a large sign at the entrance to Oakmont Country Club.

Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington will continue his bid to stop his slide down the world rankings in the Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi this week.

Padraig Harrington’s first-round defeat to Graeme McDowell at the Accenture Match Play Championship has not cost him a place in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami starting on Thursday week.

It takes a lot to rile Rory McIlroy these days but Nick Faldo’s insistence that his move to Nike is “dangerous” raised the Down man’s hackles ahead of his first-round showdown with pal Shane Lowry in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at Dove Mountain.

Shane Lowry will face Rory McIlroy in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona on Wednesday.

Graeme McDowell blames sleep-walking for the freak hand injury that almost ended his season prematurely.

Moments after Tommy Gainey narrowly missed his putt for a 59, he walked off the 18th green at Sea Island with a two-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Davis Love III, who still had 10 holes to play in the McGladrey Classic.

The champagne had not even dried on the European team room walls before thoughts turned to the next Ryder Cup trophy defence and, more pertinently, who will succeed Jose Maria Olazabal as captain at Gleneagles in 2014.

Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, two of Jose Maria Olazabal’s assistants as Europe amazingly retained the Ryder Cup from 10-4 down, are seen as the two leading candidates to take over from the Spaniard for the 2014 match at Gleneagles.

In this miserable stretch of Ryder Cups for America, there has been a threesome of common denominators: Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk.

American Webb Simpson, playing only the fifth major of his life, is the new United States Open champion as golf’s ability to surprise added yet another chapter in misty San Francisco.

American Webb Simpson burst out of the pack to become the surprise winner of the United States Open in misty San Francisco today.

AS phenomena go, the weather curiosity known as the Marine Layer — a thick blanket of fog that hovers over the Bay Area of San Francisco – is mostly a nuisance.

Graeme McDowell was California dreaming again after moving into a tie for the lead with Jim Furyk with a round to go at the United States Open.

Phil Mickelson needed a special round on his 42nd birthday to have any chance of being a contender at the US Open in San Francisco – but it did not begin as he hoped.

Phil Mickelson took the long walk back to the tee after losing a ball with his opening drive at the US Open in San Francisco today.

Rory McIlroy will hope to be inspired by his return to the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow this weekend, the scene of his first victory in America two years ago — achieved with a magical course record of 62 in the final round, after he had almost missed the halfway cut.

For the third time in 10 years, Padraig Harrington will have to beat an Augusta jinx to become Masters champion.

Pádraig Harrington became the first player to win a hat-trick of par three titles at The Masters — but just like his first victory in 2003 he had to share the honour.

Padraig Harrington today became the first player to win a hat-trick of par three titles at The Masters – but just like his first victory in 2003 he had to share the honour.

Luke Donald is set to start his Accenture Match Play title defence against former world number one Ernie Els in Tucson on Wednesday.

Colombia's Camilo Villegas and American David Toms share the lead on nine-under-par after the first round of the Humana Challenge at La Quinta Country Club.

EUROPEAN TOUR chief George O’Grady wasn’t exaggerating when he claimed on Sunday that 2011 has been the greatest year in his organisation’s history.

The hug said it all today as Tiger Woods yet again clinched another Presidents Cup victory for the United States.

Tiger Woods still has to prove he was worth a wild card for this week’s Presidents Cup – but America still lead by two points.

Tiger Woods suffered the biggest match play defeat of his life today - but it was still the Americans who began the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne much the better.

The highly-anticipated match-up between Tiger Woods and Adam Scott will happen on the opening day of the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

RORY McILROY is gunning for Luke Donald.

Sergio Garcia has climbed from 31st to 18th in the world following his second successive victory at the Andalucia Masters.

Tiger Woods has dropped another three places to 36th in the latest world rankings.

The bells are ringing for America’s new golf star Keegan Bradley – but they could also be sounding more bad news to come for struggling superstar Tiger Woods.

UNHERALDED American Keegan Bradley was the toast of Atlanta Athletic Club last night when he captured the 93rd PGA Championships after a three-hole play-off against Jason Dufner.

RORY McILROY’S hopes of a second Major championship victory in three starts hung in the balance last night after the US Open winner injured his wrist during his opening round at the 93rd PGA Championship.

IT wasn’t on the first ball that caused a splash, nor was it on the next one. But at the par-three 17th — Ryo Ishikawa’s eighth hole — when his tee shot fell short and for a swim with the fish, the thought occurred.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington will play the first two rounds with Tiger Woods and American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love at next week’s US PGA Championship in Atlanta.

American Scott Verplank has turned down the chance to act as first reserve in The Open at Sandwich tomorrow.

Thomas Bjorn, who lost the 2003 Open at Sandwich from three ahead with four to play, remains first reserve for this week’s championship.

ENGLAND’S Simon Dyson will play in next week’s British Open after American David Toms yesterday became the fourth player to withdraw this week.

England’s Simon Dyson will play in next week’s Open Championship after American David Toms today became the fourth player to withdraw this week.

THE golf industry may be in a state of flux in the current economic climate but three young Irishmen are managing to find their way in some of the most ideal circumstances — an exclusive country club in America’s Deep South.

IT is becoming all so easy for Rory McIlroy at this US Open that the 22-year-old golfer has reminded himself to stay focused heading into the biggest weekend of his career at Congressional Country Club.

MARTIN KAYMER may be a marquee player at Congressional Country Club this week but such is the strength in depth in modern golf, the German believes the 2011 US Open champion could be any one of 40 players.

ONCE the slide begins, it is incredible how quickly even the greatest can fall from grace.

David Toms made a final-day comeback to claim his first PGA Tour title in five years as he enjoyed a one-shot victory over Charlie Wi at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.