Derek Ernst beat David Lynn in a play-off to triumph in the Wells Fargo Championship for his first PGA Tour victory last night.

Rory McIlroy returned to the scene of his first PGA Tour victory today and put himself well in contention after day one of the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina.

Watching Pádraig Harrington use a belly putter for the first time is a bit like watching Picasso use a paint-by-numbers kit to produce Guernica — you know it’s wrong, but you just can’t look away.

After giving up 33 rounds under par yesterday, Augusta National hit back with the aid of some wind and rain on the second day of the 77th Masters.

Ernie Els, Nick Watney and Bo van Pelt went into the first round of the 77th US Masters today with their hopes of claiming a first Green Jacket very much alive.

Rory McIlroy lasted only two rounds in his first tournament of the year, but his return to action this week could be even shorter.

Shane Lowry will face Rory McIlroy in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona on Wednesday.

Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia end the year 14th and 16th in the world respectively after their weekend wins in South Africa and Malaysia.

Graeme McDowell’s victory at the World Challenge in California – his first title since the same event two years ago – has lifted him from 24th to 14th in the world.

Nick Watney topped the leaderboard after the first round of the World Challenge in California, with European Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell in a chasing pack of three.

Rory McIlroy outscored Tiger Woods for only the third time in 11 head-to-head clashes in China today, winning their 'Duel at Jinsha Lake' with a five-under-par 67 to the American's 68.

American Nick Watney ended an eventful week in Malaysia with a brilliant 61 and a one-stroke victory at the CIMB Classic today, leaving Tiger Woods in joint fourth place after he closed with a 63.

American Brandt Snedeker heads into his Ryder Cup debut an incredible £7m richer after a day to forget for Rory McIlroy in Atlanta – even though it earned the world number one over £2m.

Rory McIlroy remained on course for a €10m payday midway through the third round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta today.

Rory McIlroy has a $10m cheque firmly in his sights again with only two rounds of the FedEx Cup play-offs to go.

Rory McIlroy doesn’t have to win this week’s Tour Championship to pick up the massive FedEx Cup bonus of $10 million (€7.65m) bonus but he still has a lot of work to do if he is to leave East Lake, Atlanta, with golf’s richest prize tomorrow night.

The battle for the $10 million (€7.65m) FedEx Cup Series bonus is still very much alive after yesterday’s first round of the Tour Championship at East Lake, Atlanta.

Rory McIlroy could be looking to his Ryder Cup team-mates to fire him up in Chicago next week.

Rory McIlroy has dismissed the idea that he fills Tiger Woods with fear, even though Woods, tongue firmly in cheek, has started calling him “The Intimidator”.

By Sunday night, Rory McIlroy may well be one of the wealthiest people in world golf.

All 12 of the US Ryder Cup team have qualified for next week’s Tour Championship, the final tournament on the PGA Tour’s lucrative FedEx Cup play-off series, but it’s a safe bet Europe’s Jose-Maria Olazabal was the slightly the happier of the two captains after events in Indiana and the Netherlands over the weekend.

Rory McIlroy has more silverware in his sights as he prepares for the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel this weekend.

Davis Love confidently walked out to deliver his Ryder Cup team yesterday quietly aware he had already gained a small advantage over Europe.

United States captain Davis Love III cannot wait for the action to start after completing his line-up for this month’s Ryder Cup.

Davis Love III is set to end speculation – if not debate – over the final make-up of the United States Ryder Cup team by naming his four wildcard picks.

Pádraig Harrington will tune into the Golf Channel in the US today praying that Jose Maria Olazabal shocks everyone by naming him as one of his two Ryder Cup wildcards.

Spain’s Sergio Garcia moved two shots clear with a round to play at The Barclays in Farmingdale as he chased back-to-back titles on the PGA Tour.

Padraig Harrington looked to have scuppered his slim Ryder Cup hopes after plummeting down the leaderboard at The Barclays in Farmingdale.

Pádraig Harrington’s hopes of winning The Barclays and keeping his slim Ryder Cup wild card hopes alive were dealt a near fatal blow when he crashed to a four-over 75 to fall five shots off the lead at Bethpage Black in New York.

Tiger Woods got the better of playing partner Rory McIlroy in the first round of The Barclays tournament in Farmingdale today, but it was Ireland’s Padraig Harrington who stole the early headlines.

Padraig Harrington has boosted his chances of a wild card pick for next month's Ryder Cup after taking the outright lead at The Barclays in the US.

Tiger Woods held firm to beat Bo Van Pelt to the AT&T National title at Congressional and move second on the all-time list of PGA Tour winners.

Rory McIlroy was in danger of a fourth missed cut in five starts in San Francisco today – and if it happens it would hurt far more than all the others.

Local boy Webb Simpson retook the lead heading into the final day of the Wells Fargo Championship as Rory McIlroy roared into contention.

Webb Simpson was nervous about playing with Tiger Woods for the first two rounds at the Wells Fargo Championship, but on day two the challenge came from another familiar face in the form of his house guest Nick Watney.

Tiger Woods is in danger of missing the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, but Rory McIlroy’s hopes of winning back the world number one spot remain very much alive.

Rory McIlroy finds himself back with Argentina’s Angel Cabrera for the first two rounds of The Masters on Thursday and Friday.

Rory McIlroy found his new life as world number one hard work in windy Miami today.

Rory McIlroy scored a huge public relations victory over Tiger Woods before a shot was struck in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral’s Blue Monster.

The top three players in the world have been paired together in the opening round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami on Thursday.

Tiger Woods produced his best round of golf in over two years on Sunday and said it is just a matter of time before he wins on the PGA Tour again.

As Rory McIlroy became golf’snumber one-ranked player,three-time major champion Pádraig Harrington slipped out of West Palm Beach almost unnoticed on his way back home to Ireland.

Hunter Mahan has climbed from 22nd to ninth in the world after capturing the Accenture Match Play Championship by beating Rory McIlroy in the final.

Game on. Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy will go head-to-head in the semi-finals of the Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson tomorrow – and the reward for the winner at the end of the day could be the world number one spot.