Contrived in so many ways, “The Big Three” was a phrase that clearly caught on with golf journalists nearly a half-century ago. The fact it encompassed the three most popular golfers at the time — Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player — made it an easy embrace for both writers and fans.

It may have been a long time coming but the manner of Jason Day’s PGA Championship victory in Wisconsin suggests that now he has overcome the biggest hurdle the Australian has what it takes to be a major champion for some time to come.

Vulnerable recluse Christopher ‘Gussie’ Hornibrook, 73, was loved and cared for but shunned help to live the life he wanted, his devastated family said.

As pilgrimages go, few are as steeped in rituals as the Masters. Held at the same time and the same place every April, it is blanketed in so much ‘sameness’ that when one of its trees suffered ice damage this past winter and had to be taken down, reams of newsprint and miles of tape were used to record odes of appreciation and remembrances.

The emotion of the moment was all too clear in his face as Phil Mickelson sank the winning birdie putt, bowed his head, clenched his fists and raised his hands above his head to acknowledge the acclaim he just become Open champion.

They say you should never meet your heroes so it was probably just as well that Gary Player didn’t feature on my list of all-time favourite sporting stars when I shared a car journey with him to a golf tournament.

Graeme McDowell has dispelled fears of complacency heading to next month’s US Open after his historic victory in the Volvo World Match-Play Championship in Bulgaria.

England’s David Lynn, who described qualifying for the Masters as a dream come true, might be forgiven for thinking he had yet to wake up after setting the clubhouse target on his tournament debut today.

Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus got the 77th Masters under way at Augusta National today, with Player again hitting a drive which the rest of the field would be more than happy with.

Nothing is as cold and heartless as time. It waits for no man. Or so goes the saying.

Robert Trent Jones Sr, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus; Sun City, Gleneagles and the Old Head.

The Mullinahone Maiden at Clonmel last night saw Aidan O’Brien’s Hail finally get off the mark, but the contest was more notable for a nasty incident at the two-furlong pole in which jockey Fran Berry suffered numerous injuries.

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

Gary Player becomes an official starter for The Masters this week — and he is tipping Rory McIlroy to end the week as winner.

Gary Player becomes an official starter for The Masters this week - and he is tipping Rory McIlroy to end the week as winner.

GARY PLAYER last night admitted that Rory McIlroy is the most talented golfer he has seen.

JUST like in a certain well-known hotel that didn’t want to mention the war, in golf they don’t really liketo talk about the choke.

FRANCE coach Raymond Domenech has ignored the pleas of Zinedine Zidane and refused to pick his fit-again captain Patrick Vieira for the World Cup qualifying play-off against Ireland on November 14.

Trevor Immelman survived a late scare to win The Masters at Augusta National tonight, but less than four months ago he would have been happy just to play in it.

Paul McGinley today hailed Padraig Harrington’s Open victory as vital in breaking down the barriers to more European success in the majors.

Arnold Palmer has agreed to become an honorary starter for this year’s Masters at Augusta National.

The life story of golfer Gary Player, almost certainly the world’s most travelled sportsman, is to be documented at the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida.

Mark Garrod

The legendary Gary Player has launched a scathing attack on the technological advances in the game, claiming they are going "out of control."

GOLF legend Gary Player is convinced the modern day priority of power over accuracy is “ruining” the game, and has called on the sport’s governing bodies to impose drastic restrictions on the equipment used on the professional tour.

Solid performances from Ireland’s Pádriag Harrington and Darren Clarke have seen them remain well in contention as the 69th Masters championship began after a lengthy rain delay at Augusta National.

A late afternoon golfing lesson from legend Gary Player spurred Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke to his best performance ever at the Nedbank Challenge, a magnificent 66, just one shot off leaders Kenny Perry and Fiji’s Vijay Singh.

US team captain Jack Nicklaus believes the joint decision to call off the President’s Cup match as a tie and share the trophy between the two teams would go down “as one of the best decisions in golfing history”.

The International team engineered a late fightback to grab a three-and-a-half to two-and-a-half lead over the United States after the opening day of the Presidents Cup on Thursday.

THE PGA Show in Orlando, USA, in January will attract a large army of Irish golfing representatives eagerly promoting the attractions of Ireland’s top courses to a captive audience.

WHATEVER disappointment Sergio Garcia felt at losing the Cisco World Match Play final was eased by the words of his conqueror afterwards.

THE Government was last night urged to hold firm in the face of a constitutional challenge to tough anti smoking legislation launched by nine tobacco and related companies.

Thirty years on, Charlie Mulqueen recalls how close Jack Nicklaus came to making history at Muirfield.

AMERICAN Brad Faxon believes golfing greats like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player are wrong to criticise current players for not doing more to challenge Tiger Woods' supremacy in the game.