McIlroy must not be sidetracked by trying to become the next Tiger Woods

Darren Clarke was clearly making the most of his first day as a major champion today – and he hopes it is only four weeks until Lee Westwood is doing the same.

Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal, Paul Casey and Justin Rose were among the stars who took part in a pro-am at Wentworth today to raise funds for the Seve Ballesteros Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

The European Tour are still considering the best way to honour Severiano Ballesteros following his death earlier this month.

ST ANDREW’S and the Open Championship. It certainly has a very special ring to it.

TOM WATSON could spend the rest of his life going on trips down memory lane.

TOM WATSON is proud to include himself among the golden oldies capable of challenging for titles but insists actually winning one is a different matter.

TOM WATSON will begin his third major mission in as many weeks today when he tees off at the US Senior Open at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana.

TOM WATSON says messages of support from American troops he visited in Iraq have helped him put his British Open Championship disappointment into perspective.

Tom Watson is furious with himself for not giving this year’s Open Championship at Turnberry the incredible climax it deserved.

STEWART CINK is a fine golfer, a gentleman and a worthy winner of the 138th Open Championship.

No Tiger Woods in sight, no Padraig Harrington in contention – but what a last day is still in store at the Open Championship.

IN spite of his status as pre-championship favourite, there was never any certainty Tiger Woods would win his fourth Open and 15th major at Turnberry.

Miguel Angel Jimenez equalled the lowest first round in Open Championship history with a six under par 64 today – but Tom Watson was still the talk of Turnberry.

THE BOOKMAKERS don’t often get it wrong but after studying the less than overwhelming performances by our leading players in recent tournaments, it is surprising to see Pádraig Harrington (25/1) and Rory McIlroy (28/1), quoted as third and fourth favourites for this week’s Open Championship at Turnberry.

YOU could, if you were so inclined, put it down to the precociousness of youth, but Rory McIlroy sees no reason why he shouldn’t win the US Open in his first appearance this week if most things fall into place.

Padraig Harrington has criticised the European Tour for not giving Seve Ballesteros a central role.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON now lies joint 10th on the European list of major winners.

Five-time Open winner Tom Watson is to miss July’s championship at Carnoustie - only the third time he will not have played since he won there on his debut in 1975.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE has space in his cabinet for one more Order of Merit trophy - and believes he is finally ready to fill it.

Colin Montgomerie has space in his cabinet for one more Order of Merit trophy - and believes he is finally ready to fill it.

Tom Watson will not be making a return next week to the Royal Troon course on which he won the fourth of his five Open titles.

Tom Watson will not be making a return next week to the Royal Troon course on which he won the fourth of his five Open titles.

Tom Watson will not be making a return next week to the Royal Troon course on which he won the fourth of his five Open titles.

An actor who can play golf is wanted to star as legendary British golfer Harry Vardon in a film based on the best-selling book The Greatest Game Ever Played: Harry Vardon, Francis Ouimet And The Birth Of Modern Golf.

IT IS 1900 and with three Open Championships under his belt and already dubbed ‘The Napoleon of Golf’, Harry Vardon had developed the most rigorous practice regime any golfer in the game’s history had ever followed and one that would not be emulated until Ben Hogan came along.

AMERICAN Brad Faxon believes golfing greats like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are wrong to criticise current players for not doing more to challenge Tiger Woods' supremacy in the game.