After a day of glorious sunshine and low scoring on Thursday, the early starters yesterday were greeted by a decidedly different golf challenge. A cool morning mist and trickier pin positions meant a very challenging first nine holes.

Hopes of a home victory took a battering at the second day of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with overnight leader Padraig Harrington slumping to a three-over 73 and Shane Lowry struggling with a stomach bug as well as his scorecard.

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

This may not be Pádraig Harrington’s last shot at glory but the triple major champion knows age is catching up with him and his blistering 63 at Lahinch yesterday was a sign he is not inclined to waste a minute of the time he has left in elite golf.

I managed to catch up with Paul McGinley early yesterday morning just as the early players were setting out for their first round.

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.

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.

Americans Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson were playing a practice round at the 2010 Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor Resort when Mickelson proposed a dream scenario: “Can you imagine what a phenomenal Ryder Cup venue Bethpage Black would be?” he said.

Former champion Rory McIlroy made it two wins out of two with a 3&2 victory over South Africa’s Justin Harding on day two of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play last night.

Rory McIlroy maintained his impressive form in the countdown to the Masters with a second straight victory in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play but could yet miss out on an eagerly-anticipated showdown with Tiger Woods.

European Tour chief Keith Pelley has admitted that the controversial two-stroke penalty imposed on China's Haotong Li at the Dubai Desert Classic was "grossly unfair".

Jon Rahm will be watching tonight’s multi-million dollar showdown between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, either in person or on TV, despite admitting the contest has come at least 10 years too late.

Eddie Pepperell defied miserable conditions with a little help from his mum to win his second European Tour title of the season in the British Masters — and with it a different Masters appearance next April.

Eddie Pepperell expressed his intention to “dominate” the British Masters after Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood suffered a nightmare day on the greens at Walton Heath.

Lucas Herbert carded an excellent round of 64 to open up a two-shot lead over England's Tom Lewis on day three of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

Sergio Garcia dedicated an encouraging start in his Ryder Cup warm-up event to Celia Barquin Arozamena, the promising young Spanish golfer who was murdered on a golf course in the United States on Monday.

Thomas Bjorn faces the first tough decision of his Ryder Cup captaincy as he prepares to name his four wild cards for the contest with the United States.

Olivia Mehaffey defied a stiff southerly wind to give the girls in green a shot at a medal in the World Amateur Team Championships at a wind-blown Carton House.

Italy’s Andrea Pavan celebrated the imminent arrival of his second child by winning his first European Tour title after coming out on top in a final-round duel with three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

All around him on a windy summer day on the links of Carnoustie, the leaders were imploding as Tiger Woods moved into the lead at the turn.

Dermot McElroy made a superb start to the second stage of European Tour Qualifying School with a two-under 70 at El Saler, Spain.

Pádraig Harrington believes he is capable of making a Ryder Cup return at the age of 47 after making a superb start to the Turkish Airlines Open in Antalya.

Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter already have one eye on a Ryder Cup return after making strong starts to the Turkish Airlines Open.

Lucas Bjerregaard claimed his first individual European Tour title with an impressive display of front-running in the Portugal Masters today.

Shane Lowry will head into the final day of the Portugal Masters four shots off the lead.

Paul Dunne qualified for next month’s US Open as three-time US Open winner Tiger Woods was suffering another public humiliation that leaves as many questions about the former world No 1’s mental well-being as it does about his ailing back.

Tiger Woods admits he has “no timetable” for his return to golf after announcing he will not play in next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.

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.

A change of heart could pay massive dividends for Graeme McDowell after the former US Open champion survived a windswept opening day of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Dubai Duty Free Irish Open defending champion Soren Kjeldsen has every reason to look back at last year’s Royal County Down victory with fondness. The Dane credits his victory as marking a pivotal moment in his career.

Chief executive Keith Pelley has hailed the European Tour’s new pace of play policy a success after rounds during the recent ‘Desert Swing’ were completed up to 19 minutes quicker.

It is a case of ‘Last Chance Saloon’ for all but two of the seven Irish golfers contesting this week’s Portugal Masters at Vilamoura.

Soren Kjeldsen overcame a nervy sudden-death play-off and some insecurity about his future on the European Tour to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. 

Holland’s Joost Luiten recovered from a poor start and overcame a nervous finish to claim his fourth European Tour title in the ISPS Handa Wales Open at Celtic Manor.

Scotland’s Marc Warren, who credits his recent good form to a new Callaway driver, ruled himself out of the reckoning for a Ryder Cup wild card despite claiming his first European Tour title for seven years at the inaugural Made in Denmark event yesterday.

Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shot a disappointing final round 72 for a final score of six under par in the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio yesterday.

A week may be a long time in politics but 20 hours can feel like a marathon for one of the game’s greatest golfers when his game goes from the sublime to the ridiculous in such a short space of time.

Pádraig Harrington made a miraculous par at the last to card a second successive 68 and finish his day just two shots behind the clubhouse leaders in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

Graeme McDowell has withdrawn from next week’s BMW PGA Championship to be with his wife, Kristin, who is expecting their first child later this summer.

Lee Westwood believes he is the man to watch in today’s third round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth as he seeks the 41st win of his career.

Italy’s Francesco Molinari set the clubhouse target on a miserable day at Wentworth as Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald’s bid for a third successive BMW PGA Championship title came to a premature end.