Pádraig Harrington is having none of that statistic that winning the Par 3 Contest on the eve of the Masters precludes a golfer from winning the main event.

Paul Lawrie made his first round in The Masters since 2004 one to remember at Augusta National today.

An eagle on a hole where he once took nine gave Padraig Harrington a superb start to The Masters at Augusta today.

For the third time in 10 years, Padraig Harrington will have to beat an Augusta jinx to become Masters champion.

Pádraig Harrington became the first player to win a hat-trick of par three titles at The Masters — but just like his first victory in 2003 he had to share the honour.

Rory McIlroy embarks on a quest to banish his Masters demons today, confident he is better equipped, both mentally and technically, to hold off Tiger Woods and a host of other likely rivals and conquer Augusta National.

Padraig Harrington today became the first player to win a hat-trick of par three titles at The Masters – but just like his first victory in 2003 he had to share the honour.

Luke Donald is set to start his Accenture Match Play title defence against former world number one Ernie Els in Tucson on Wednesday.

Keegan Bradley has snatched a share of Phil Mickelson‘s lead of the Northern Trust Open, setting up an enthralling final day in California.

Phil Mickelson remains on track to record back-to-back titles after maintaining his lead at the Northern Trust Open in California.

AMERICAN Steve Stricker birdied two of the last three holes to fire a four-under-par 69 in the final round to win the US PGA Hyundai Tournament of Champions by three strokes.

Steve Stricker produced a strong finish to his third round to ensure he will take a five-shot lead into today’s final round of the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Mark Kuchar holds a one-shot lead after carding a second round six-under-par 65 at The Barclays in New Jersey.

Harrison Frazar, Matt Kuchar and William McGirt were in a three-way tie for the lead when bad light brought a premature end to the first round of The Barclays in New Jersey.

There was a Rory setting the early pace at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron today, but it was South African Rory Sabbatini rather than Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy.

Steve Stricker held on to win the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio before admitting he had to grind out his 10th career victory.

Steve Stricker appeared in total command at the top of the leaderboard as he neared the turn at the Memorial.

Steve Stricker managed to cling onto his lead at the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village after contrasting fortunes today.

RORY McILROY mixed the brilliant with the indifferent in the second round of the Memorial tournament at Muirfield Village, Ohio, yesterday but remains firmly in contention for his second victory on the PGA US Tour going into the weekend at the $6. 2 million (€4.2m) event.

Lucas Glover beat Jonathan Byrd in a play-off to claim victory in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Pat Perez produced an impressive second round to take a two-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard in the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Bill Haas fired an eight-under 64 to claim a two-shot lead at the end of day one of the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte.

Graeme McDowell, conqueror of Tiger Woods in a play-off in December, will face him again in the first two rounds of The Masters on Thursday and Friday.

Graeme McDowell hopes to show Ryder Cup team-mate Ross Fisher today why he is now the world number four.

Tiger Woods is out of the WGC-Accenture Match Play already, beaten on the first extra hole by Dane Thomas Bjorn in today’s opening round.

GRAEME McDOWELL and Rory McIlroy cruised to comfortable first round wins in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Luke Donald booked his place in the second round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship before Tiger Woods and Lee Westwood had even hit a shot in Tucson today.

RORY McILROY might see himself as an under-achiever in terms of his winning ratio but pal Graeme McDowell has no doubts his Ryder Cup buddy will soon discover his killer instinct.

Rory McIlroy believes the influx of young talent into the game means the sport is set for an exciting future.

THE Irish trio at this week’s Accenture World Match Play in Tucson enter the event with contrasting form.

Ernie Els is expected to be back in action at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson on Wednesday after a sore neck kept him out of last week’s Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles.

Ian Poulter is set to start the defence of his WGC-Accenture Match Play title against 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink if all the world’s top 64 show up in Tucson next week.

Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas is up from 187th to 86th in the world after producing the third shock result in a row on the PGA Tour this season.

THE increasingly lucrative “Gulf Swing” on the European Tour begins Thursday with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

THE many American commentators who wondered aloud about Graeme McDowell’s worthiness to be crowned US Open champion after his great victory at Pebble Beach last June have been forced to eat another dose of humble pie after the latest heroics by the Portrush man in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Sunday.

Graeme McDowell’s heroics in Hawaii over the weekend have left him poised to take the world number four spot off Phil Mickelson.

Jonathan Byrd became the first champion of 2011 on the PGA Tour, defeating the gutsy Robert Garrigus on the second hole of a tense play-off at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Steve Stricker shot the round of the day to take his place in a three-strong leadership group at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Robert Garrigus shot a stunning 10-under round of 63 to shoot to the top of the leaderboard at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

American Jonathan Byrd and Swede Carl Petterson both shot impressive first rounds of 66 to share the leadership of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

IN a decisive finish, Jonathan Byrd won a three-man playoff with a hole-in-one on the fourth extra hole in the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital Open.

Jonathan Byrd secured his fourth PGA Tour title in spectacular fashion as he aced the fourth play-off hole in near-darkness to win the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas overnight.