The UK has fined bookmakers firm owner GVC £5.9m (€6.4m), after its Ladbrokes unit failed to keep track of problem gamblers.

World number one Rory McIlroy remains winless in the UAE capital after finishing six shots adrift of South African Darren Fichardt in the one-day Abu Dhabi Invitational Pro-Am at Yas Island Links.

After more than 500 rounds of European Tour competition, Rory McIlroy recorded his first hole-in-one on day two of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

THE AMERICANS mightn’t be much good as a team but, rest assured, they won’t be slow in coming forward when they tee it up this week in the WGC AmEx Championship at the splendid new Grove complex near Watford on Thursday.