SHANE LOWRY scored a course record-equalling 62 on the Old Course, Sunningdale, to earn himself a place in next month’s British Open at St Andrews yesterday.

THE field for the ‘3’ Irish Open at Killarney’s Golf and Fishing Club (July 29-August 1) was yesterday boosted by the inclusion of Rory McIlroy, the weekend’s PGA championship winner Simon Khan and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.

Jake Roos blazed through the first 15 holes of round three at the Africa Open with eight birdies to take the outright lead in East London today on 15 under par – one stroke clear of overnight leader Trevor Fisher Jr.

TREVOR FISHER JUNIOR held the lead at the halfway stage of the Africa Open after matching his opening-day effort with another 66 in East London to head into the weekend on 14-under-par.

Trevor Fisher Jr held the lead at the halfway stage of the Africa Open after matching his opening-day effort with another 66 in East London to head into the weekend on 14-under-par.

A storming finish to his round enabled Trevor Fisher Jnr to share a five-way tie at the top of a clustered leaderboard after day one of the Africa Open in East London today.

Shane Lowry, yet another rising Irish golf star, today became only the second amateur to lead a European Tour event at the halfway stage.

Michael Hoey believes a good finish to last season is the main reason behind his good start to the 2009 European Tour after he carded an opening round seven-under-par 64 at the Joburg Open yesterday.

STEVEN JEPPESEN shares the lead with Trevor Fisher Jnr after the pair carded opening-round eight-under-par 63s at the Joburg Open yesterday.

Steven Jeppesen shares the lead with Trevor Fisher Jnr after the pair carded opening-round eight-under-par 63s at the Joburg Open today.

Ryder Cup hopeful Nick Dougherty produced a sparkling finish to regain a share of the lead at the SAS Masters in Stockholm on Friday.

Colin Montgomerie is not alone in thinking that this week’s Accenture world match play championship in Arizona is something of a lottery.

Unbeaten as Ryder Cup partners last year and inseparable on tour for years, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke went their separate ways on the leaderboard in the first round of the Austrian Open today.

Ryder Cup partners Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke experienced hugely contrasting starts to their first rounds in the Austrian Open this morning.

South African Andrew McLardy shot a course-record 63 to take a one-shot lead in the inaugural Joburg Open at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.

South African young gun Charl Schwartzel has set his sights firmly on claiming the inaugural Joburg Open title to begin his year on a positive note.

Home favourite Ernie Els took his fourth SAA Open title in style, carding a final-round 65 to end on 24 under and set a new scoring record for the tournament at the Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth.

World number eight Ernie Els was heading for his first victory of the year as he took control of the final round of the SAA Open at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth.

World number eight Ernie Els made his intentions clear as he leapfrogged compatriot Trevor Immelman to take the early lead in the final round of the SAA Open at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth.

South Africans Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman were turning the SAA Open into a duel in the third round at the Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth.

Tournament favourite Ernie Els pronounced himself satisfied with his first two rounds at the SAA Open in Port Elizabeth but then immediately issued a strong warning that the course was about to bear its teeth.

Swedish golfer Patrik Sjoland upstaged home hopes Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman and Retief Goosen to grab the lead after the second round of a hotly contested SAA Open in Port Elizabeth.

Home favourite Retief Goosen took revenge for his embarrassing 11 yesterday by claiming the lead on day two of the SAA Open at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth.

Home hope Retief Goosen produced a bizarre first round in the South African Open, which culminated in a disastrous 11 on the 17th after he appeared to have mastered the Humewood course.

South African Ernie Els became a popular joint leader of the SAA Open at Humewood GC in Port Elizabeth with a round of 67 but is sure to face some tough competition from a number of compatriots.

England’s Shaun Webster made a purposeful opening to his bid for a European Tour card as he set the early pace in the first round of the qualifying school final at San Roque.

TIME was when the Irish Open was dominated by the superstars of the game ... Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Jose-Maria Olazabal, all major championship winners, Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia, two of the game’s finest ever players.

WITH so many of their top players turning their sights towards the US Tour with all its wealth and perks, the European Tour is finding it increasingly difficult to put fields together that will attract serious public interest.

ENGLISH rookie Oliver Wilson is only three shots off the lead in the Holden New Zealand Open - a week after fearing he had contracted pneumonia.

Miles Tunnicliff, Niclas Fasth and Richard Green all equalled the course record as the feast of low scoring continued in the Holden New Zealand Open today.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson spectacularly birdied four of the last five holes to win The Heritage at Woburn by four shots today.

Sweden's Henrik Stenson will take a one shot lead into the final round of The Heritage tournament at Woburn after he shot a 67 today.

Padraig Harrington’s hopes of playing in the HSBC world match play championship in three weeks’ time are hanging by a thread.

He was not at the Ryder Cup and he has yet to figure prominently at a major, but Graeme McDowell is starting to become a real force in European golf.

And so there were two. Padraig Harrington and David Howell are the only Ryder Cup men left in The Heritage at Woburn.

One of Britain’s brightest golfing prospects spoke today about the damage he had done to his career enjoying the good life.

DAVID LYNN attributed the lowest round of his professional career to his success on the greens after an opening 63 gave him a one-stroke lead in the KLM Open in Holland.

David Lynn attributed the lowest round of his professional career to his success on the greens after an opening 63 gave him a one-stroke lead in the KLM Open in Holland.

BARRY LANE, playing his 499th European tour event and without a win on the circuit for 10 years, stormed to a three-stroke victory in the British Masters at the Forest of Arden yesterday.

England’s Barry Lane, playing his 499th European tour event and without a victory for 10 years, won the Daily Telegraph Damovo British Masters at the Forest of Arden today.

A week that promised so much turned sour for former Ryder Cup Scot Andrew Coltart today when he slumped to an 81 – a round that included a two-stroke penalty for hitting himself.

There are two things happening at the Forest of Arden this weekend – a golf championship and a controversy which is dividing the European Tour.