Generations humbled by the grand cancellation of modern sporting life — something, we will claim that could never have been predicted, writes Colin Sheridan.

Rory McIlroy woke up Friday morning ready to go to work, unaware that his day job had been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

World No 1 Rory McIlroy will be joined by world No 2 Jon Rahm and No 3 Brooks Koepka in the marquee grouping for the opening two rounds of the Players Championship this week.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton carded a 69 to put himself into contention at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill as overnight leader Matt Every tumbled down the leaderboard.

Rory McIlroy may have come out against the proposed Premier Golf League, but the world number one is not opposed to streamlining an “oversaturated” golf market.

Spain’s Jon Rahm fired a career-best 61 – which included a hole-in-one – to charge up the leaderboard at the WGC-Mexico Championship, where Justin Thomas will take a one-shot lead into the final round.

Ireland nailed the first of three possible Triple Crown successes this weekend when Noel McNamara’s side produced their best display of the campaign to oust England at Franklin’s Garden.

McIlroy began the day tied for the lead

It took Rory McIlroy four and a half years to get back his No. 1 status in the world. It could take only a week to lose it again.

McIlroy and Brooks Koepka did not contest last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but McIlroy moved above the American due to the vagaries of the two-year rolling ranking system.

How many of golf's world number ones since 1986 can you name?

Some good news from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia! The star-studded European Tour Event, the Saudi International golf tournament, was won on Sunday afternoon by Graeme McDowell.

Australia’s Marc Leishman came from behind with a superb seven-under 65 to secure a one-stroke win at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in San Diego on Sunday.

His failure to win at home last summer provided Rory McIlroy with a liberating epiphany.

The result was never going to be the primary indicator of the worth of this pre-season workout, but in running in six tries and building important momentum, there was a lot to like about the performance from Noel McNamara’s Ireland Under-20s.

Rory McIlroy is by a distance the Irish sportsperson of the decade, writes Kieran Shannon.

Rory McIlroy has ruled out competing at next month’s European Tour event in Saudi Arabia.

Revenues at superstar golfer, Rory McIlroy’s management and image rights firm last year soared almost three fold to $17.64m (€16m).

Rory McIlroy’s new trophy cabinet could soon need expanding after arguably his best shot of a stellar season capped a superb opening round in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Open champion Shane Lowry insists he will not rest on his laurels as he looks to finish his career-best season on a high at the DP World Championship in Dubai.

Shane Lowry might be focussed on the Turkish Airlines Open and the Race to Dubai but he admits that it would be “an incredible honour” to carry to Irish flag at next year’s Olympic Games and a dream to win gold.

Some of the brains behind Ireland’s Olympic assault on Japan next summer are confident that Rory McIlroy and others competing in green can actually profit from the soaring temperatures and high humidity expected throughout the Games.

McIlroy closed day two one shot behind Matthew Fitzpatrick but capitalised as the Englishman slipped from the top of the leaderboard on Saturday

Rory McIlroy closed with an eagle to finish the second round of the WGC HSBC Champions one shot behind leader Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Rory McIlroy is determined to end a four-year wait for a World Golf Championships victory at the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai this week.

Rory McIlroy has said he will play golf at the Olympics for Ireland.

World number one Brooks Koepka has dismissed the idea he has a rivalry with Rory McIlroy — by reminding the world that McIlroy hasn’t won a major in five years.

Andres Romero opened up a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Omega European Masters but Ryder Cup stars Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy were well in contention in Switzerland.

Rory McIlroy has questioned both the radical new format and the focus on the $15m (€13.5m) first prize at this week’s season-ending Tour Championship.

Rory McIlroy is just four shots off the lead at the halfway stage of the BMW Championship.

Shane Lowry has recovered from a shaky start to card a two-under par 69 on the opening day of the Northern Trust.

On Tuesday, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Graeme McDowell enjoyed a friendly nine holes of practice at Liberty National Golf Club ahead of the Northern Trust Open, the first event in the FedEx Cup Play-offs.

Shane Lowry revealed he had fully heeded Rory McIlroy’s advice to enjoy his Open triumph as he prepared to return to action in The Northern Trust.

Rory McIlroy has called for slow players to receive a solitary warning before receiving shot penalties.

Rory McIlroy fears legalising conventional gambling in the US may increase the number of fan heckling from outside the ropes at Tour events.

Brian O’Driscoll believes Joe Schmidt’s Ireland team can take inspiration from Shane Lowry’s Open triumph as they seek to emulate the Offaly golfer by climbing higher than ever before on the world stage.

If failing to prepare means preparing to fail, the question about how to prepare effectively must be broached by any self-respecting high performing athlete and coach. Mind you, there is no answer that will serve everyone equally.

Rory McIlroy has admitted he was more emotional and overwhelmed by the support he received at Portrush last week than missing the cut at the Open Championship. He said last night it was the first time he had to stop himself crying on a golf course.

Graeme McDowell hailed Ireland’s newest major champion and backed Shane Lowry to finally come out from Rory McIlroy’s shadow after lifting the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush.