Graeme McDowell will hope history repeats itself as he defends his RBC Heritage title at Harbour Town Golf Links at Hilton Head this week.

Bubba Golf returned to Augusta National last night as 2012 Masters winner Watson, unburdened by the pressures of being defending champion, jumped out into a clear lead at the halfway stage as Rory McIlroy struggled to stay in touch.

Bubba Watson continued his impressive bid for a second Masters title in three years on Friday as Thomas Bjorn became Europe’s leading contender for a first victory since 1999.

Rory McIlroy intends to treat the next 54 holes at Augusta National like a game of chess as he patiently tries to become a grand Masters champion.

So, if it is his final year as a competitor in the Masters – and for the record, he has been suggesting for 20 years or so that it is – Craig Stadler is going out in style.

Rory McIlroy intends to treat the next 54 holes at Augusta National like a game of chess as he patiently tries to become a grand Masters champion.

Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy has been drawn in with two young American stars in the first round of the US Masters on Thursday.

Robert Karlsson and Kevin Stadler shared the lead when play was suspended for the day during the second round of the OHL Classic at Maykoba.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia moved two shots clear with a round to play at The Barclays in Farmingdale as he chased back-to-back titles on the PGA Tour.

Second-round leader Rory McIlroy faltered on day three of the St Jude Classic in Memphis as Nick O’Hern, Davis Love III and John Merrick moved to the head of the leaderboard on six under.

Rory McIlroy finished with three birdies in his last four holes and held a one-shot lead as the second round of the FedEx St Jude Classic drew to a close last night.

English duo Brian Davis and Greg Owen hold a share of the overnight lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after play was suspended for the day due to lightning and heavy rain at TPC Louisiana.

A second consecutive 69 of the week has put Ireland's Padraig Harrington in a tie for eighth on six-under-par in the Shell Houston Open in Texas today.

Ryder Cup team-mates Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood led the European bid to succeed Paul Casey on the Shell Houston Open victory podium after the defending champion withdrew due to injury.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON was less than pleased despite opening with his lowest round in five appearances at the Shell Houston Open at windy Redstone.

American Ryan Moore broke his US PGA tour duck at Greensboro’s Wyndham Championship but not before being taken to a three-way play-off by Kevin Stadler and Jason Bohn.

Tiger Woods moved into contention at the Buick Open thanks to a second-round 63 in Grand Blanc, Michigan.

One slack shot meant Ian Poulter lost some vital ground in the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans today.

World number two Phil Mickelson held his nerve at the second play-off hole to edge out English duo Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood to win the HSBC Champions in Shanghai and claim his first overseas title in 14 years.

English duo Ross Fisher and Paul Casey will go head-to-head with world number two Phil Mickelson in the final round of the HSBC Champions as the American looks to defend a two-stroke lead in Shanghai.

Kevin Stadler continued to dominate the elite field at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai after the American carded a second round three-under-par 69 to take the clubhouse lead on 11-under at the Sheshan International Golf Club today.

England’s Ross Fisher produced a second consecutive four-under-par 68 today to trail HSBC Champions second-round leader Kevin Stadler by three strokes at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington has slipped down the leaderboard at the HSBC Championship.

Open champion Padraig Harrington was in a group chasing surprise first round pacesetters Niclas Fasth and Kevin Stadler at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Bernhard Langer’s pre-tournament prediction proved embarrassingly accurate in the first round of the KLM Open in Zandvoort today.

Bernhard Langer is confident of maintaining family bragging rights when he returns to action in the KLM Open which gets under way in Zandvoort today.

England’s Simon Dyson will try to achieve something only Tiger Woods has managed in 2007 when he defends his KLM Open title this week.

GARY MURPHY will almost certainly save his European Tour card should he make the cut in the Majorcan Open this week — even though he is three places outside the top 115 on the order of merit who retain their playing privileges in 2007.

Tiger Woods started with four birdies, Phil Mickelson with four bogeys and the 19-strong European contingent’s hopes were fading fast.

One day after his World Cup-winning partner Bradley Dredge set the pace in the European Open Stephen Dodd took over at the top at the K Club near Dublin today.

THE Irish Open at Carton House on May 18-21 is likely to be the last sponsored by Nissan Ireland, but chief executive Gerard O’Toole is unlikely to declare his intentions until at least the final day of the tournament.

Reigning US Open Champion Michael Campbell, Colin Montgomerie and Ireland’s Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley will all assemble at Carton House, Maynooth, from May 18-21 for the 2006 Nissan Irish Open.

Kevin Stadler has become the first American to win the RBS shot of the month award after his victory in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth in February.

THE WITHDRAWAL of Sergio Garcia means that Ireland's Graeme McDowell will provide the first round opposition to Tiger Woods in the Accenture World Match Play Championship beginning in Carlsbad, California, on tomorrow week.

FORMER US Masters winner Fred Couples and veteran Australian Robert Allenby have predicted a bright future for India's Shiv Kapur after playing with him at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

KEVIN STADLER emerged from his father’s shadow to win the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines in Perth.

American Kevin Stadler, the world number 256, justified tournament organisers’ decision to invite him to compete by carrying off the Johnnie Walker Classic title in Perth.

Englishman Ross Fisher insists he can “go out and get the job done” after climbing into contention at the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines in Perth.

Englishmen Paul Casey and Ross Fisher have climbed into contention at the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines in Perth as they moved to within five strokes of American leader Kevin Stadler.

IAN POULTER is confident of doing something special this weekend at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Ian Poulter is confident of doing something special this weekend at the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Colin Montgomerie missed a second-successive cut today when he crashed to a second-round 74 in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth.

Ian Poulter shot a six-under 66 in his second round at the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Vines in Perth, but at eight-under overall the Englishman still lagged five strokes behind runaway leader KJ Choi.