Ireland’s Damien McGrane fired an eight-under-par 63 to claim the clubhouse lead in the first round of the Joburg Open today.

ENGLAND’S Jamie Elson epitomised the fighting spirit needed to succeed at the six-round European Tour Qualifying School when he holed a unlikely 40-foot bomb for birdie on his 108th and final hole of the week to earn his card on the seven under par limit.

Peter Lawrie leads a trio of Irishmen paving the way in the opening stages of the first round of the Czech Open.

Irish golfer Michael Hoey is celebrating today after claiming his second European Tour title with a two-stroke victory at the Madeira Islands Open.

MICHAEL HOEY claimed his second European Tour title yesterday with a two-stroke victory at the Madeira Islands Open.

Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey shot a five-under-par 67 to move himself into a share of the lead after the third round of the Madeira Islands Open.

Irishman Simon Thornton extended his lead to two shots after five holes of his third round at the Madeira Islands Open.

IRELAND’S Simon Thornton shot a six-under par round of 66 to lead at the Madeira Islands Open at Porto Santo Golfe.

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.

Anthony Wall maintained his place at the top of the leaderboard at the inaugural Sicilian Open today but is set to come under increasing pressure from the chasing pack as the third round plays out.

Thomas Aiken led the Joburg Open early through the third round after his solitary birdie through five holes put him a shot clear on the east course of the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

Charl Schwartzel delivered a magical 10-under-par round of 61 on a rain-affected day two of the Joburg Open to storm into a share of the lead at the halfway stage.

Thomas Aiken made his move early on day two of the Joburg Open, taking a one-stroke lead before rain halted his progress after 12 holes.

Martin Maritz and Tyrone Mordt shared the lead after round one of the Joburg Open today with both carding faultless nine-under-par 62s, although they came on different sets of 18 holes at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

IRELAND’S Colm Moriarty, who topped the Saint-Omer Open leaderboard alongside Martin Wiegele overnight, hit a disappointing two-over-par 73 to finish in joint sixth, three shots adrift of England’s Robert Dinwiddie in France yesterday.

Ireland's Damien McGrane shared the lead at the South African Open at Pearl Valley today, sitting at three under alongside Argentinian Ariel Canete.

KILKENNY’S Gary Murphy took another step towards regaining his card and Niall Kearney showed his huge potential on a wind-lashed second day of the European Tour Qualifying School finals at PGA Golf Catalunya.

Philip Walton, Europe’s Ryder Cup match-winning hero in 1995, and 1999 runner-up Jean Van de Velde are among 12 players to have come through the 36-hole final qualifying for next week’s Open Championship.

Jean Van de Velde kept alive his hopes of returning to the Open Championship with a two-under-par 70 in final qualifying at Hillside today – and was then promised protection for the second round.

IT WASN’T easy to look star struck at Carnoustie yesterday as a miserable, unrelenting mist — or haar as the Scots like to call it — swept over the great old course from the nearby North Sea.

IRELAND will have five players competing in this week’s European Tour School at San Roque in the south of Spain.

Worksop’s Neil Cheetham was one of seven golfers sharing the lead after the first round of the Aa St Omer Open having carded a three-under-par 68 on the undulating course in northern France.

Scotsman Euan Little powered to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the European Tour qualifying school stage two in Spain.

And so there were two. Padraig Harrington and David Howell are the only Ryder Cup men left in The Heritage at Woburn.

WEATHER delays or not, it was a marvellous weekend for Ireland's Graeme McDowell and Fiji's Vijay Singh.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell made up for lost time when the second round of the Italian Open eventually got under way in Milan today.

The delayed second round of the Italian Open eventually got underway in Milan this morning.

ByAlex Lowe

Jamie Elson defied heat and treacherous greens to charge into a share of the lead at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open with an opening round of six-under-par.

DAMIEN McGRANE secured his European Tour card in emphatic style in the final round of the qualifying school at Emporda, Spain, yesterday.

Five years after lifting the World Cup with Nick Faldo, David Carter did something far more important today. He rescued his European tour career.

PHILIP WALTON, match-winning hero of the 1995 Ryder Cup, probably needs a 64 or 65 in the final round of the European tour qualifying school at Emporda in Spain to avoid a fifth successive failure at the school.

WHEN your national association president is a former wrestler, the leading light in the game a tennis pro, and your best golfer is only 17 years of age, then it’s not hard to surmise that the ancient game is in its infancy in your country.

JAMIE ELSON joined the ever increasing number of English golfing talent to capture his maiden professional title at the Volvo Finnish Open on the European Challenge Tour.

Padraig Harrington has it in his power this weekend to ensure that Europe’s record of always having at least one player in the world’s top 10 is maintained.

It is not difficult to spot which Ryder Cup star has been enjoying himself most back at The Belfry so far this week.

Padraig Harrington stumbled just at the moment he had The Belfry course record back in his sights today.

Gary Wolstenholme and Steven O'Hara gave Ireland and Britain a confidence-boosting start to their defence of the Walker Cup in Georgia.

Nick Faldo protege Nick Dougherty and Jamie Elson, whose father Pip played on the European tour, have both been named today in the Britain and Ireland team which will defend the Walker Cup in Georgia on August 11-12.