It was a date with destiny for the game’s greatest talent and competitor yesterday.

Stephanie Meadow’s amazing third place in the US Women’s Open on her professional debut at Pinehurst No.2 was a dream start to her career in the paid ranks but the Irishwoman saw it as a reward for her endeavour rather a shock success.

MASS MARKETFICTION

MASS MARKETFICTION

MASS MARKETFICTION

There’s a great scene in Amadeus where Mozart is staring at a couple of extravagant, expensive wigs, unable to decide which to wear out and about in Vienna that evening.

For Tiger Woods, self-absorption may not be a hindrance, it may be just the thing to restore his winning mentality

It’s hard not to talk about Rory McIlroy these days, even when he is not competing.

Tiger Woods’ agent has lashed out against Hank Haney’s book, saying his “armchair psychology” about Woods was “ridiculous” and that it was clear the former swing coach only cares about self-promotion.

TIGER WOODS, along with the top four players in the world rankings, will contest this week’s Abu Dhabi Championship.

TIGER WOODS starts his season in Abu Dhabi next week unhappy his former coach Hank Haney is writing a book about their time together.

SCOTT VERPLANK was vying with Steve Stricker at the top of the leaderboard last night but Tiger Woods was in freefall as he stared at the prospect of his first PGA Championship missed cut in 14 starts.

EVER since a fresh-faced teenager, name of Woods, turned professional in 1996 with that famous “Hello World” ad, that world has been occupied with the question ‘what will Tiger do next?’

Tiger Woods is back in America’s side for their defence of the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor on October 1-3.

IT says much about Tiger Woods’ current form that his appearance on the early US PGA Championship leaderboard came as something of a surprise at Whistling Straits last night.

When Phil Mickelson crashed to a closing 78 in Akron on Sunday the suspicion grew that trying to replace Tiger Woods as world number one was taking its toll.

Tiger Woods now says he will play in the Ryder Cup if American captain Corey Pavin offers him a wild card.

Tiger Woods blamed mental errors for costing him a fourth US Open title after he finished three shots behind Graeme McDowell in a tie for fourth.

Tiger Woods was relishing being back in the hunt for a major as the leaders prepared for the final round of the 110th US Open in California tonight.

THE stage is set and the principal actors are ready to walk on. The question is, who will be taking the curtain calls on Sunday night when the US Open trophy is handed out for the 110th time.

TIGER WOODS has no plans to appoint a new coach as he prepares to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, which gets underway today.

RYDER Cup talk will dominate all else this week when the players assemble for the Wales Open over the 2010 course at Celtic Manor, the venue for the clash of Europe and the US on October 1-3 next.

YOU get used to certain things in golf. Ian Poulter’s clothes, Rory McIlroy’s hair, Monty’s mood swings, Sergio Garcia’s missed putts and Phil Mickelson being behind Tiger Woods in the world rankings.

HANK HANEY is quitting as Tiger Woods’ swing coach.

Tiger Woods' long-time swing coach Hank Haney has ended his relationship with the troubled golf star.

NOW he has an injury on top of his personal woes, there must be fresh doubt whether Tiger Woods will make the trips across the Atlantic for July’s British Open Championship and October’s Ryder Cup.

Now he has an injury on top of his personal woes there must be fresh doubt whether Tiger Woods will make the trips across the Atlantic for July’s Open Championship and October’s Ryder Cup.

After spending 244 weeks in his career as world number two Phil Mickelson is excited by the thought that he might finally make it to the top this Sunday.

NINE holes of practice had seen five balls disappear into water, but when Tiger Woods spoke to reporters in Florida yesterday it was clear that the state of his game is not his major worry right now.

SOME described the atmosphere as subdued but Tiger Woods’ first run around Augusta National in front of thousands of fans can only be qualified as an outstanding success for the disgraced world number one.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON must have felt it was Ground-hog Day, as for the second year in succession he completed his Masters warm-up with a bitterly disappointing final round at the Shell Houston Open.

TIGER WOODS is looking to step up his comeback from injury when the Memorial Tournament in Ohio gets under way today.

Tiger Woods is nearing a return to competitive golf but will delay a decision on his comeback until the birth of his second child.

Tiger Woods has quashed reports that he has parted company with coach Hank Haney.

Thomas Bjorn has an early-morning date with Tiger Woods at Carnoustie on Monday - and once he has kept it he will have either good or bad news for all of Europe’s top players.

Sweden’s Daniel Chopra led world number three Vijay Singh by two at the halfway stage of the Cialis Western Open in Illinois. But not for the first time it is Tiger Woods who has the biggest spotlight on him.

THE best golf shots by major champions are not always the most memorable.

EVERYBODY has heard of Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter, even Hank Haney.

THE outstanding behaviour of Munster rugby fans was mentioned during Padraig Harrington's press conference here yesterday.

IT all ended at 4.40pm on a muggy St Andrews afternoon although there were still an hour and twenty five minutes of golf to be played.

Runaway leader Tiger Woods fired an ominous warning to the rest of the British Open field at St Andrews after a second-round 67 put him well ahead at the halfway stage.

Tiger Woods revealed today that his mother was nearby when the London bombings happened last week – and she did not tell him.

FOUR rounds like this and it's looking good. That was the summation of Tiger Woods after he opened his US Open challenge with an even par 70 at Pinehurst yesterday.