Rory McIlroy believes the absence of Tiger Woods from next week’s Masters is an opportune time for him to lead a new dominance in world golf.

The unglamorous cousins to the exciting 13th, 15th and 16th are No 10, 14 and 17 at Augusta, but they’ll be just as decisive this weekend

World number three Luke Donald put himself firmly in contention as Bae Sang-moon and Fredrik Jacobson shared the lead at the halfway stage of the Northern Trust Open in California.

Were golf a team sport and he had a friendship with Harry Sinden, Lee Westwood, perhaps, would be in better position for a Major title.

The focus of the vast majority of the golfing world may be on the Open Championship instead of the True South Classic, but this week’s PGA Tour event can at least boast four major champions in the field.

Fourteen Major champions, plus world number one Luke Donald and third-ranked Lee Westwood, are in the field for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth on May 24-27.

Miguel Angel Jimenez has hopes of becoming the European Tour's oldest-ever winner this weekend - thanks to the circuit's youngest-ever winner throwing the Andalucian Open wide open.

Miguel Angel Jimenez admits that staging the Andalucian Open this week will cost him money because of a struggle for sponsorship.

HAVING consolidated his place at the top of the world rankings by finishing third in the WGC Cadillac event at the weekend, Rory McIlroy takes a three-week break before the Masters at Augusta on April 5.

The new US Open champion Graeme McDowell will have to wait until just before 2pm on Thursday when he tees off with two former winners of that title, Jim Furyk and Geoff Ogilvy at the Open in St Andrews.

Thongchai Jaidee gave early-arriving fans a treat with the first hole in one of the week as the third round of the 110th US Open got under way in California on Saturday.

PATIENCE is your watchword in the US Open and Pádraig Harrington showed that he has it in spades as he picked up two late birdies to keep his hopes of a fourth major title alive at a fast and furious Pebble Beach.

PEBBLE BEACH looked like the clear winner on day one of the US Open as the game’s greatest player struggled to come to terms with fast, hard-running conditions.

English duo Brian Davis and Greg Owen hold a share of the overnight lead at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans after play was suspended for the day due to lightning and heavy rain at TPC Louisiana.

Brian Davis and Greg Owen moved into a share of the lead as the second round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans was delayed due to lightning at TPC Louisiana today.

The sporting world will have to wait until 1.42pm on Thursday – 6.42pm Irish time – to see the first shot that Tiger Woods has hit in competition for 144 days.

Tiger Woods will play with fellow American Matt Kuchar and Korean KJ Choi in the first two rounds of The Masters on Thursday and Friday.

TIGER WOODS arrived without warning on a lazy Sunday afternoon at the Masters.

Anthony Kim powered to the top of the leaderboard at the Honda Classic on a good day for low scoring at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Red-hot Ian Poulter gave Sergio Garcia a real hammering in Tucson today - but went to bed not knowing his final opponent at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Paul Casey made Open champion Stewart Cink his latest victim in Tucson today - and left America without a semi-finalist for the first time in the 12-year history of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.

Paul Casey recorded yet another hugely impressive win today to reach the quarter-finals of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship for the second year running in Tucson.

Ian Poulter has not yet thought about what he will say when he next sees Tiger Woods, but he would love it to be: “I’m number two now.”

IRELAND’S last hope in the World Golf Championships Accenture Match Play Championship ended last night as Oliver Wilson ousted Rory McIlroy in 20 holes at Tucson.

Ireland's Rory McIlroy and England's Oliver Wilson are ahviing a great battle at the WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship in Arizona today.

RORY McILROY pulled a brilliant victory from the jaws of defeat when the WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship began in Tucson yesterday.

Rory McIlroy pulled a brilliant victory from the jaws of defeat when the WGC-Accenture World Match Play Championship began in Tucson today.

A dazzling putting display gave Luke Donald victory over ex-Walker Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson today.

Europe provides seven of the top 10 seeds in this week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship after Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson both decided not to play.

The wait for Tiger Woods’ return to golf goes on. He will definitely not be playing next week’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona.

Dustin Johnson carded 10 birdies as he surged into a one-shot lead following the opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Bubba Watson shot a 10-under-par 62 to take the lead as the second round finally got played at the rain-hit Bob Hope Classic in California.

RORY MCILROY has reached a higher position on the world rankings than any other 20-year-old before him.

EUROPEAN number one Lee Westwood insists victory at this week’s Chevron World Challenge would still be special, even without the presence of tournament host Tiger Woods.

Lee Westwood today admitted that it was probably a mistake to play last week's Hong Kong Open.

Troy Matteson held off PGA Tour rookies Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark in a play-off to win the Frys.com Open yesterday at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

GARY MURPHY seems almost certain to retain his Race to Dubai Tour card thanks to the help of six international players including four Major champions.

The United States will take a three-point lead over the International team into the final day's 12 singles matches after extending their Presidents Cup advantage on day three in San Francisco.

A late rally from the International team kept the United States’ Presidents Cup lead at just one point heading into the weekend after the fourball matches in San Francisco.

The United States took an early lead in foursomes over the International team at Harding Park as the Presidents Cup got underway in San Francisco.

Phil Mickelson will not let a sore back dampen his excitement at leading off the United States’ Presidents Cup defence alongside Ryder Cup playing partner Anthony Kim tonight in San Francisco.

Greg Norman today named 17-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa and out-of-form Australian Adam Scott as his two wild cards for the Presidents Cup in San Francisco on October 8-11.

Korean Yang Yong-eun’s amazing victory over Tiger Woods in the US PGA Championship – the first win by an Asian-born player in any of the men’s majors - has taken him from 110th in the world to 34th.

Overnight leader Padraig Harrington was keeping Tiger Woods at bay as the world number one charged into contention at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational tonight.