IRELAND as good as wrecked their World Cup hopes at sunny Vilamoura yesterday when Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley could do no better than a five under par 67 in the opening round of fourballs.

AUGUSTA National has its Golden Bell, Flowering Crabapple and Pink Dogwood but even the home of the US Masters cannot boast names of the sheer majesty of The Azured Winged Magpie, The Peregrine Falcon or The Purple Gallinule.