Graeme McDowell might have called it a "conscious uncoupling" but whatever way you put it, the Ryder Cup star admitted his golfing dynamic with Rory McIlroy was very different now to when they first played together five years ago.

United States Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson called for his players to use redemption for motivation at Gleneagles this week, but many appear not to have received the memo.

Paul McGinley declared he now has 20 players better prepared for Ryder Cup selection following the dramatic conclusion to the Seve Trophy at St Nom-la-Breteche yesterday.

THERE will be no gold medals here; no trinkets, baubles or pay cheques.

Jose Maria Olazabal has insisted there is no chance of him continuing as European Ryder Cup captain, despite his team’s dramatic victory in the United States.

Davis Love, the US Ryder Cup captain, may be doing his utmost to give his team every possible advantage at home on the No 3 course at Medinah this weekend but the European team arrived in Chicago last night feeling just as familiar about the challenge that lies ahead.

If anyone needed assurance, regarding the worth of Paul McGinley as a Ryder Cup vice-captain, and his potential as a European Team captain, then you only had to watch him interact with Medinah rookie, Nicolas Colsaerts.

It is a telephone call that has been described as “evil” and it could be Pádraig Harrington on the receiving end later this week.

Four years after being snubbed by then European captain Nick Faldo, Darren Clarke will return next week to Gleneagles taking the first steps to the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy.

Rory McIlroy’s literally got the bug for PGA Championship glory this week at a storm-drenched Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

With the top two spots on the leaderboard held by a South African and an Australian, the British Open provided considerable food for thought for the rival Ryder Cup captains Davis Love III and Jose-Maria Olazabal.

Pádraig Harrington’s run of top-10 Major finishes this year came to an end in The Open yesterday but he left Royal Lytham in a positive mood with the PGA Championship fast approaching and a Ryder Cup place to chase.

OPEN champion Stewart Cink well remembers the moment Sergio Garcia made his first impression at a major championship, 10 years ago in the PGA Championship at Medinah.

Phil Mickelson won the Masters in April after romping to a 13-shot victory the previous Sunday. Things are rather different for his attempt to make a successful defence of the US PGA championship at Medinah in Chicago this week. He has just missed his first halfway cut of the year.

American captain Tom Lehman has finally admitted he made up his mind some time ago not to play in next month's Ryder Cup in Ireland - barring some "crazy, unforeseen circumstance".

Luke Donald is remembering a piece of advice from his amateur days as he prepares for next week's Ryder Cup.

Tiger Woods may be hunting his ninth major title at the Open, but Sergio Garcia has not given up hope of matching the world number one's achievements.