Rivalries are nothing new in sport. They are on every corner but few have the importance or the commercial impact of the three-day match play tournament which biennially pits the best players from both the US and Europe against each other: the Ryder Cup.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, took aim at the soft drinks industry yesterday, announcing a new tax on sugary drinks.

Contactless payment technology has been applied to fashion to create the “world’s first” contactless jacket.

He has twice lifted the Claret Jug, made a reservation for a place in golf’s Hall of Fame and etched his success into the collective memory of Irish sports fans.

A worker at a maximum security prison in New York state has been charged with helping two killers escape.

Kerry Foods is to continue with the restructuring programme that delivered a sales uplift at the end of 2013 and into 2014 — despite “highly competitive” consumer markets in the UK and Ireland.

Product placement in Hollywood films dates back to the 1920s and nowadays it’s commonplace for blockbusters to offset some of their astronomical budgets with shameless plugs.

Graeme McDowell has dispelled fears of complacency heading to next month’s US Open after his historic victory in the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria.

Arline Kercher must relive her daughter Meredith’s murder again as the Italian courts review the case after the acquittal of Amanda Knox was thrown out, writes Barbie Latza Nadeau

England’s David Lynn, who described qualifying for the Masters as a dream come true, might be forgiven for thinking he had yet to wake up after setting the clubhouse target on his tournament debut today.

Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus got the 77th Masters under way at Augusta National today, with Player again hitting a drive which the rest of the field would be more than happy with.

Queen of the South 2 Hibernian 0

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

AMERICAN student Amanda Knox arrived home free last night after spending four years in an Italian jail, leaving the family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher racked with anguish that they are no closer to the truth about her killing.

Meredith Kercher’s family vowed today to lend prosecutors their full support if they fight the acquittal of Amanda Knox for the murder of the British student.

THE sister of Meredith Kercher said it would be “very difficult” to forgive anyone for the British student’s murder as she awaited the outcome of the appeal hearing.

AMANDA KNOX was cleared last night after a court overturned her conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

Amanda Knox was cleared tonight after a court overturned her conviction for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON has set his sights on winning more Majors in the wake of his compatriots’ recent successes at Pebble Beach, Congressional and Sandwich.

THE formal ratification of Jose-Maria Olazabal as captain of the European Ryder Cup team at Medinah next year takes place shortly after lunch today.

IN a disappointing tournament for Irish players, Marc Farry became the fifth first-time winner on the European Senior Tour in 2010 when he held off a spirited challenge from Ross Drummond to win the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland.

TWO-TIME Major champion Sandy Lyle closed with a superb eagle for an opening round 66 to set the pace in the Handa Irish Senior Open presented by Fáilte Ireland, as he chases his maiden European Senior Tour title.

Two months after providing the finalists at the World Match Play, two Englishmen are now setting the pace in The Masters at Augusta.

Two months after providing the finalists at the World Match Play in Tucson, two Englishmen were setting the pace in The Masters at Augusta today.

Ian Poulter had the thrill of leading The Masters at Augusta today, but if that was the ecstasy, the agony certainly belonged to Sandy Lyle.

Sandy Lyle’s dream start to The Masters turned into a nightmare at Augusta today.

A very different Augusta National was lying in wait for the Masters field today - and Sandy Lyle and Simon Dyson were instant victims.

Anxious Italian politicians today tried to quash suggestions of an escalating diplomatic rift with the US over the conviction of Amanda Knox for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher.

The family of murdered British student Meredith Kercher today described their anguish at the loss of their beloved “Mez” as a “life sentence”.

The family of murdered student Meredith Kercher today welcomed the convictions of her killers, and said that they agreed with the outcome of the court case.

AMANDA KNOX was branded a “talented and calculated liar” during the closing stages of British student Meredith Kercher’s murder trial.

FOR his latest novel, In Zodiac Light, Robert Edric frames the post-war life of Britain’s lesser known war poet and composer Ivor Gurney.

MUSIC mogul and convicted murderer Phil Spector, who complained about his prison quarters but later said he wanted to stay put, is being moved to make room for inmates requiring outpatient mental health treatment.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE wants a Ryder Cup team that is totally fearless – and does not mind how young they are.

Colin Montgomerie wants a Ryder Cup team that is totally fearless – and does not mind how young they are.

RYDER CUP skipper Colin Montgomerie has buried the hatchet with Sandy Lyle after the “cheat” slur that sparked a wealth of controversy at last month’s Open.

European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has backed “four or five” of his potential 2010 team to secure top-10 finishes at this week’s US PGA Championship in Minnesota.

Defending Open champion Padraig Harrington is three over par going into today's third round, tied in 53rd place.

Colin Montgomerie wants to “distance himself” from the ongoing feud with Sandy Lyle which has overshadowed this week’s Open 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.

Sandy Lyle tonight reignited his feud with Colin Montgomerie, accusing the Ryder Cup captain of being a “drama queen hiding behind his manager”.

Colin Montgomerie admits the row with Sandy Lyle at The Open this week could affect the pair’s relationship forever.

RYDER CUP captain Colin Montgomerie wants to put the Sandy Lyle controversy behind him and concentrate his attentions on this Open championship.