Even with ample reason to think about what might have been, Paul Azinger prefers to wonder what’s next.

Disqualification. In a word, that’s what should have happened to Phil Mickelson on Saturday, following one of the most bizarre moments in the history of professional golf. Lefty will be remembered for his five Majors, his six runner-up spots in the US Open, and his incredible short game, but his antics on Saturday at Shinnecock have tarnished his legacy.

Paul McGinley foresees more of golf’s young elite like Rory McIlroy suffering injuries because of the stress they are putting on their bodies.

Kevin Markham on the best new and upgraded golf courses in Ireland, Britain and Europe.

Patrick Harrington, the 14-year-old son of three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington, says he doesn’t get asked about his famous father too much, but when he does, the first question usually is an inquiry about his handicap.

To be sure, Sergio Garcia’s fifth major championship round as a major champion didn’t go quite as well as he would have hoped. 

Open champion Henrik Stenson admits it was a bittersweet moment when he returned the Claret Jug yesterday, but is eagerly looking forward to the next chapter in his career.

Kevin Markham takes a look at the Royal Birkdale as the course prepares to host The Open Championship.

Pádraig Harrington is sitting in the iconic art deco clubhouse at Royal Birkdale, having lunch and shooting the breeze.

If the media drives sport and most of the money generated comes from TV broadcasting rights then it’s hardly surprising that professional sport worldwide has always been a star-driven enterprise dominated by the world’s greatest athletes.

Graeme McDowell produced a grandstand finish to finish in one under par 71 and an impressive opening to The Players Championship at Ponte Vedra last night.

Defending champion Jason Day shrugged off a poor finish to his opening round as he targeted an achievement which proved beyond the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus.

Nothing comes easy at Augusta, but some puzzles are more difficult to solve than others. Kevin Markham tackles the Masters toughest tests...

Larry Mize hit one of the greatest golf shots of all time to clinch the 1987 Masters, chipping in from off the 11th to defeat Greg Norman on the second extra hole.

Jordan Spieth might have found a new way to finish the front nine at the Masters. He’s just worried about trying it when anyone is looking.

The walk from the ninth green to the 10th tee at Augusta National takes less than a minute, but the significance of that brief period of time on April 10, 1997, cannot be underestimated.

Another year, another trip down Magnolia Lane and the pressure continues to build on Rory McIlroy to win the Masters and complete a career grand slam of major championships.

Since the Rubberbandits introduced the nation to the thoughts of Jean Baudrillard the other night the level of debate has surely risen a few notches, particularly when it comes to our awareness of what is and isn’t real. Or maybe we’ve just been conditioned to think that way (see what I mean?). For instance, forget whether anyone can hear a tree falling in an empty forest: if an Irish team doesn’t win on Irish television has it really claimed victory?

We delve into the past ahead of the final major championship of the season.

What a way to grab you and your country’s maiden major championship victory.

Former champion Larry Mize showed what was possible, both good and bad, on a windswept third day of the Masters at Augusta National.

Augusta National has a mystique as the only major championship played on the same golf course every year.

Not surprisingly, these top ten Augusta clutch shots all came in the final round of the Masters when the pressure was massive and the drama unbearable.

There’s no such thing as a sure thing in golf and while Paul McGinley believes the stars will align and Rory McIlroy will soon put together a performance for the ages, there is no guarantee it will happen in the Masters.

It’s an Aladdin’s cave for golf nuts. Heaven for hackers. Valhalla for garage golfers and other madcap inventors believing they’ve come up with the game’s greatest gadget.

Somewhere along the rocky rode he has travelled in recent years — maybe after back surgery pushed him to the sidelines, or maybe when his ‘glutes’ didn’t activate in San Diego; it’s so hard to keep track of his ailments, comebacks, and soap opera episodes — Tiger Woods let it be known that “Father Time was undefeated”.

If Arnold Palmer romanticised the American pilgrimage to the Open Championship and Jack Nicklaus cemented its competitive importance, Tom Watson humanised it.

No doubt Dustin Johnson slept soundly on Thursday night. 

Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger added his name to the illustrious list of Alstom Open de France champions thanks to a brilliant closing 65 at Le Golf National on Sunday.

Sergio Garcia was not the only player at Chambers Bay to question the quality of the putting surfaces at this week’s US Open but having taken to his Twitter account to air a much-shared view, the Spaniard the Americans love to heckle inevitably drew the most flak.

Jordan Spieth birdied the last at Augusta National to post a superb opening-round 64 at the Masters and throw down the gauntlet to Rory McIlroy and the rest of the field.

Graeme McDowell remains confident of taking his place in next fortnight’s Masters despite withdrawing with a lower left ankle injury after nine holes of the Valero Texas Open.

Shane Lowry has arranged an Augusta National practice tee time alongside 14-time Masters representative Pádraig Harrington.

Golf is returning to the Olympics for the first time since 1904 and the International Golf Federation (IGF) has proposed a 72-hole stroke play tournament for the men’s and women’s events.

Turn away now if you are of a squeamish disposition — or suffer from DTS (dicky tummy syndrome).

Rory McIlroy made an early move for a fifth success this season in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, while good friend Shane Lowry finally looks set to secure that much sought after top-50 World Ranking.

Tommy Barker hears how a chance sing-song opened extraordinary doors for owner of this Waterville home.

Two-time major winner Greg Norman is expected to make a “full, speedy recovery” after injuring his left arm in a chainsaw accident over the weekend.

Greg Norman is recovering from a chainsaw accident that nearly cost him his left hand, but not his sense of humour.