Tiger Woods has been fined an undisclosed amount by the European Tour for spitting on the 12th green of his final round at the Dubai Desert Classic yesterday.

Tiger Woods has made a career out of setting records, but the two new ones he flew home from Dubai with last night are a real sign of the times.

TIGER WOODS came under fire for his spitting again yesterday.

PAUL McGINLEY admits that the failure of the “Fed-Ex Four” — Pádraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose — to play in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week could have a negative effect on Europe’s prospects of regaining the Ryder Cup in October at Celtic Manor.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON admitted last month that he would be “devastated to miss the Ryder Cup.”

Darren Clarke’s coach, Ewen Murray, continues to believe Ian Poulter’s absence from the final Ryder Cup qualifying event at Gleneagles last week was because captain Nick Faldo had already handed him a wild card.

Darren Clarke saw Padraig Harrington make the move he needed for the Ryder Cup and is hoping to do the same when he returns to action in this week’s Smurfit Kappa European Open at the K Club.

The richest event in golf failed to bring the best out of Ian Poulter and Colin Montgomerie in rainy Florida today.

Ian Poulter just managed to keep a lid on his frutration today after suffering another blow to his hopes of qualifyin for the Masters.

IRELAND'S big two of Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington are back in contention for the €500,000 first prize at the coveted Deutsche Bank European TPC after enjoying productive days in the Heidelberg sunshine yesterday.