Robert Rock is closing in on 200 European Tour events without a win, but maybe a change of caddie is about to bring a change of luck.

Edoardo Molinari birdied his first six holes to grab the second round lead away from his brother Francesco at the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

GIVEN the desert wasteland nature of this week’s Bahrain course, the European Tour issued a special rules notice to all Volvo Champions event competitors declaring – “There is no bunkers on this course”.

The opening day of the Royal Trophy ended honours even as defending champions Europe drew 2-2 with Asia in today’s foursomes.

ROBERT KARLSSON and Johan Edfors led a strong Swedish challenge on the opening day of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura.

Robert Karlsson and Johan Edfors led a strong Swedish challenge on the opening day of the Portugal Masters in Vilamoura today.

Robert Karlsson and Johan Edfors led a strong Swedish challenge on the opening day of the Portugal Masters today.

England’s John Parry – a team-mate of Rory McIlroy in the 2007 Walker Cup - today became the third rookie to win on this season’s European Tour.

An early double-bogey set Padraig Harrington right back in his attempt to make up lost ground at the Vivendi Cup in Paris today.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is convinced the next three days of the Vivendi Cup will do him “no end of good” as he finalises his preparations for the Ryder Cup in Celtic Manor.

Padraig Harrington grabbed seven birdies and yet still found himself seven shots off the lead after the opening day of the Vivendi Cup in Paris.

More than 200 European Tour events and seven years on from his only victory, England’s Mark Foster takes a three-stroke lead into the final day of the Spanish Open in Seville.

SWEDEN’S Johan Edfors remembers all too clearly the moment in last year’s US Open final round when he left a putt eight feet short and a New York fan yelled out: “Looks like Jesus, putts like Mary.”

PGA Championship winner YE Yang needed just two final-round birdies to win the Volvo China Open by two shots today at a damp Jinji Lake International Golf Club today.

Low scoring again looked to be at a premium on the third morning of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry.

Mike Weir shot a 64 at Bethpage Black to take the clubhouse lead as the rain-delayed first round of the US Open neared completion today.

Clearing skies and warm temperatures helped the late starters at Bethpage Black steal a march on their earlier rivals as Ireland’s Graeme McDowell held a precarious share of the clubhouse lead halfway through the rain-delayed first round of the 109th US Open.

First-round play resumed at the rain-hit US Open today but the return to the action did Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington no favours.

Defending champion Tiger Woods needed to be at his combative best to stay on track for back-to-back wins as the 109th US Open began under dark skies and heavy rain at Bethpage Black.

Shane Lowry made two mistakes he could ill afford as he battled today to become just the third amateur ever to win a European Tour event.

Amateur Shane Lowry, playing what Colin Montgomerie called “incredible” golf, continued to live in a dream world at The 3 Irish Open at County Louth today - and is joint leader with England’s Robert Rock heading into the final round.

Course record holder Graeme McDowell walked out of The 3 Irish Open at County Louth today – with a limp and some critical words.

Rory McIlroy has today grabbed a share of the lead at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

Padraig Harrington and Trevor Immelman, winners of three majors between them last year, were left with plenty of ground to make up after their opening rounds of the Abu Dhabi Championship today.

The form which swept Henrik Stenson to two notable victories before Christmas deserted him when the Abu Dhabi Championship began today.

A hailstorm halted play in the Abu Dhabi Championship less than two hours into the £1.8m (€2m) tournament today.

Jose Maria Olazabal has called for a “special” performance as his European team seek to overturn a five-point deficit to defeat Asia and extend their 100% record in The Royal Trophy.

Between them, European Tour rookies Robert Dinwiddie and Ross McGowan have made no fewer than 17 attempts to get into the Open and not succeeded once.

Even with a driver that had started to rattle, Sweden’s Johan Edfors set the early pace in the Irish Open at Adare Manor today.

Sweden’s Pelle Edberg opened up a two-stroke lead as the Dubai Desert Classic got underway this morning, with world-number-one Tiger Woods and Colin Montgomerie lurking in the chasing group at the Emirates Golf Club.

Australian Adam Scott claimed his second Qatar Masters title with a three-stroke victory over Swede Henrik Stenson after he produced an 11-under-par course record 61 in the final round.

Rory McIlroy stormed into contention at the Qatar Masters with a brilliant bogey-free six-under-par 66 to sit just two shots adrift of overnight leader Johan Edfors.

Three-time European Tour winner Johan Edfors stormed to the top of the Qatar Masters leaderboard to open up a two-stroke halfway lead over Lee Westwood and Charl Schwartzel.

Nick Faldo has named England’s Simon Dyson and Scot Marc Warren as his two wild cards for Britain and Ireland’s defence of the Seve Trophy at The Heritage near Dublin next week.

Seve Ballesteros was refusing to prematurely celebrate defending the Royal Trophy after his European side extended their lead over Asia on the second day of the annual match-play tournament.

Europe’s overwhelming dominance over their Asian counterparts continued on the second day of the Royal Trophy as Seve Ballesteros’ team moved even further ahead following the fourballs at the Amata Spring Country Club.

Welshman Bradley Dredge has earned himself a debut in the Masters at Augusta next April – by just 0.01 world ranking points from England’s Justin Rose.

Padraig Harrington was today stepping up his bid for a second double triumph in four years in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Wales’ Bradley Dredge, 21 under par in winning his second European Tour title last month, threatened a repeat performance in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today.

Nothing was going to stop Colin Montgomerie flying from Munich to Glasgow for a Robbie Williams concert tonight – and only something extraordinary will now prevent Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal earning Ryder Cup places tomorrow.

Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal today became near-certainties to be part of the European team going for a record third successive Ryder Cup victory in less than three weeks’ time.

Paul Broadhurst was in severe danger of becoming the next player to fall out of the Ryder Cup race in Munich today.

Padraig Harrington today became the eighth member of the European Ryder Cup team – but not in a way that gave him any great pleasure.

Lee Westwood overcame the worst possible start today – not just a double bogey, but a broken driver as well – to keep alive his hopes of clinching a Ryder Cup wild card with his first win for three years.