Rory McIlroy’s injection of golfing Hollywood into the Irish Open was manifestly evident approaching 8am yesterday, as elements of the game’s royalty limbered up to unleash their opening shots of the 2015 renewal.

Top seed and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy has been handed a tough draw for the new-look WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco after being grouped with Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Jason Dufner. 

Phil Mickelson has withdrawn from this week’s WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship in San Francisco for personal reasons, paving the way for Finland’s Mikko Ilonen to enter.

The spelling might be different but the result was the same as Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy joined Rory McIlroy on a prestigious list of winners of the Radisson West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point yesterday.

Golf: Mikko Ilonen hailed the best year of his career after becoming the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship with a hard-fought victory over top seed and good friend Henrik Stenson.

Mikko Ilonen became the first Finnish player to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship on Sunday after a hard-fought victory over top seed Henrik Stenson at The London Club.

Patrick Reed gained a small measure of revenge for last month’s Ryder Cup defeat by knocking European hero Jamie Donaldson out of the Volvo World Match Play Championship yesterday.

Ryder Cup star Victor Dubuisson was the only player certain of a place in the quarter-finals of the Volvo World Match Play Championship ahead of Friday's final group matches at The London Club.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell suffered just his third ever defeat in the Volvo World Match Play Championship yesterday, as Ryder Cup team-mate Stephen Gallacher’s singles losing streak reached double figures.

Defending champion Graeme McDowell suffered just his third ever defeat in the Volvo World Match Play Championship against an inspired Mikko Ilonen on Thursday.

Graeme McDowell outlined a renewed commitment and some ambitious career targets after making an ideal start to the defence of his Volvo World Match Play Championship title.

Five members of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team will feature in the World Matchplay Championship at the London Golf Club tomorrow.

Rory McIlroy shrugged off a rain delay of almost two hours which raised the prospect of a Monday finish in the US PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Rory McIlroy vowed to “keep the pedal down” as he looked to turn a narrow halfway lead into a second major title in four weeks in the 96th US PGA Championship.

Rory McIlroy will take a one-shot lead into Saturday’s third round at the PGA Championship promising to keep his foot on the accelerator as he seeks to close out back-to-back major victories.

The 2014 Irish Open proved a major hit in Cork with more than 100,000 spectators visiting Fota Island Resort, and it also left a lasting legacy in the region with the tournament raising €50,000 for its Official Charity, Mercy Hospital Foundation and its Kids + Teens Appeal.

Tiger Woods’ return to action after back surgery did not go exactly to plan as the world number five could manage only a three over par 74 in the opening round of the Quicken Loans National at Bethesda.

Fota Island Resort chief executive Jonathan Woods has called for more international sporting and music events to be staged in Munster following the overwhelming success of the Irish Open in Cork at the weekend.

Graeme McDowell was able to laugh over missed putts as other golfers took to Twitter to praise Fota Island, The Irish Open and the fans.

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Taking Martin Kaymer’s US Open victory as his inspiration, Mikko Ilonen celebrated his wire-to-wire Irish Open win last night as a major progression along the road to his career goals.

34-year-old now beside an illustrious winners’ list

A top-10 finish in the Irish Open may not be much use to a three-time Major winner, but runner-up Edoardo Molinari would strongly disagree with that sentiment as he booked his ticket to next month’s British Open at fota yesterday.

GOOD DAY

Ryder Cup watch; Irish Open winner Mikko Ilonen has put himself in the Ryder Cup conversation thanks to his stress-free, wire-to-wire victory at Fota Island.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Irish professional golfers were considered the underdogs when it came to winning events.

Pádraig Harrington went into the weekend of the Irish Open admitting he badly needed momentum and to feel seriously nervous coming down the stretch in the final round.

The 97,000 fans who thronged the magnificent Fota Island Resort over the last four days had it all. The weather, the big names, the course looking better than an airbrushed postcard.

Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell may have come up short in this year’s quest for an Irish Open victory, but both would be delighted to give it another shot at Fota Island Resort after a hugely successful week in Cork.

Finland’s Mikko Ilonen remained on course for a wire-to-wire victory midway through the final round of the Irish Open today.

Mikko Ilonen has increased his lead to three shots in the final round of the Irish Open at Fota Island.

Padraig Harrington has endured a disappointing start to his final round with bogeys on the second and third and seventh holes.

Graeme McDowell birdied two of his last three holes to give the fans hope of a home victory at the Irish Open on Sunday at Fota Island.

England’s Danny Willett got the first hole-in-one of the tournament this morning on the 7th hole at Fota Island. That and two birdies put him at seven-under for the tournament, just three shots off the top.

The Irish Open has not one but three homegrown contenders at Fota Island Resort as Graeme McDowell leads the pursuit of halfway leader Mikko Ilonen.

Ryder Cup watch: England’s Paul Casey needs a massive weekend to successfully defend the Irish Open, but he’s got plenty of motivation as he chases a return to the European Ryder Cup team.

Stop the presses! Hold the phones! Here comes a newsflash: golf really isn’t the centre of the universe.

Graeme McDowell hopes it will be 13th time lucky in the Irish Open this weekend as Rory McIlroy made an early exit from the event for the second year in succession.

Three birdies and one bogey in 15 holes keeps Padraig Harrington within three shots of the lead so far and well placed for the weekend.

Graeme McDowell is in the clubhouse with a score of eight-under, after a five-under round today, giving him a share of the lead.

Graeme McDowell now sits at the top of the leader board at eight-under on day two of the Irish Open in Fota Island.

Graeme McDowell set about improving his poor Irish Open record as the second round got under way in more glorious sunshine on Friday.

Play is underway at Day Two of the Irish Open in Fota Island.

As with all great sporting events, the anticipation often surpasses the reality.