In every sport, there’s a team, or a venue, or an event, or a player that proves to be someone’s nemesis. Sometimes it just gets in the player’s head but it proves to be a complete bogeyman… and golf is littered with them, says Kevin Markham

He’s one of golf’s big three but while he has spent a few days watching Africa’s big five and has his sights set on returning to world number one this month, Rory McIlroy’s early-season sojourn to South Africa is all about one thing — the first major of the year.

As caddie to elite professionals including Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, Colin Byrne has been at the pinnacle of golf. Now the Irishman wants us all to benefit from his experience.

It was said many years ago but the hellish pronouncement of the founder and designer Henry Clay Fownes should be posted on a large sign at the entrance to Oakmont Country Club.

Golfer Pádraig Harrington, developer Seán Mulryan and former U2 manager Paul McGuinness are among a new list of Irish names connected to the Panama Papers.

The sight of European big guns limping over the finish line early on Sunday at the Masters need not necessarily give Ryder Cup team captain Darren Clarke cause for panic five months out from the 41st match-up at Hazeltine.

In more than 30 years as a caddie to pros such as Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, Colin Byrne has seen more than his fair share of the world’s top courses but now the Irishman is lending his expertise to help guide golfers around them from a new vantage point.

South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl claimed the clubhouse lead in the BMW SA Open as tournament host Ernie Els suffered another attack of the dreaded yips at Glendower.

Jordan Spieth spent the first official practice day of the new year in good company.

Pádraig Harrington is no longer searching for ‘the secret’ in the autumn of a glorious career, but he remains just a little bitter nobody told him where his ball was at St Andrews this year, writes Brian Keogh.

To have an amateur leading The Open Championship going into today’s final round is the stuff of fairytales.

Dustin Johnson did not manage 18 holes but he showed enough in a second round cut short by fading light to stay just out in front in The 144th Open Championship last night at St Andrews.

They are playing the same course side by side, but if Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth are going to continue their majors duel into the last round of the 144th Open Championship, then the American rivals will get there by contrasting routes.

Darren Clarke felt sorry for Tiger Woods after the former world No 1 crashed to a four over 76.

Dustin Johnson returns to the major championship arena at St Andrews on Thursday resolved to leave behind his status as golf’s nearly man and in the process stop Jordan Spieth’s bid for Grand Slam glory.

Greystones’ Paul Dunne fired an eagle and six birdies in a sensational second round 65 to top the final qualifying for The Open at Woburn and clinch his place at St Andrews later this month.

Renowned for his short-game prowess, Phil Mickelson sometimes does his best scoring with his biting perspective and cunning wit.

Pádraig Harrington has rekindled his goal of representing Ireland in next year’s Olympic Games after the 43-year old defeated 21-year-old American rival Daniel Berger in a play-off to capture the Honda Classic at Palm Beach Gardens.

Bae Sang-moon won the first tournament of the PGA Tour season and already is thinking about the last one.

Bae Sang-moon won his second PGA Tour event as he claimed a two-shot victory at the Frys.com Open in California.

Sang-Moon Bae will enter the final day of the Frys.com Open with a four-shot lead after an excellent seven-under-par 65 in his third round in California.

Pinehurst is a perfect example of a thinking man’s course.

There are two sets of names that will bear down on Phil Mickelson at Pinehurst No. 2 tomorrow as he tees off in a US Open for the 24th time.

Phil Mickelson was back on a PGA Tour leaderboard as last year's runner-up made a positive start to the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis.

When the US Open returns to Pinehurst next week, a few crucial elements will be missing from the last time it was staged there, back in 2005.

Pádraig Harrington made a miraculous par at the last to card a second successive 68 and finish his day just two shots behind the clubhouse leaders in the HP Byron Nelson Championship in Texas.

It was almost a year ago that Adam Scott, fresh from his dramatic Masters victory, responded to a congratulatory text message from his friend Justin Rose.

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

Ernie Els busted out of last week’s Merion ‘torture chamber’ and singled out Irish-born caddy Colin Byrne for helping produce his lowest score in seven months on the opening day of the 25th anniversary BMW International Open in Munich .

So what’s it going to be? A thoroughbred major winner with killer course management and length to spare? A major virgin with a hot putter and an even hotter wedge? How about a straight-hitting gut-player with a laser-like long game and a brain?

Nicolas Colsaerts will defend his Volvo World Match Play Championship title as the European Tour breaks new ground in Bulgaria this week, but only after his father arrives on a hastily-chartered private jet with his clubs.

Rory McIlroy allayed fears about the state of his game by storming into contention at the Valero Texas Open.

Ricardo Santos, who last year became Portugal’s first European Tour winner for 20 years, made a flying start to the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha today.

Dustin Johnson began his year in supreme style with victory in the first PGA tournament of 2013 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Luke Donald, a winner in Japan last Sunday, became the man to catch again today after a sparkling start to the £6m (€7.46m) DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The European Tour’s £6m season-ending event began on time despite a torrential overnight storm in Dubai today – but it was over for Ireland’s Shane Lowry.

Luke Donald hopes to end his golfing year with a bang this week – but has also given the European Tour something to think about.

England’s Ian Poulter and German Marcel Siem found themselves out in front after overnight leaders David Howell and Anders Hansen made poor starts to the Alstom French Open final round at Le Golf National near Paris today.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell has win through to face Sergio Garcia at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today.

Justin Rose piled on the agony for Darren Clarke with a 6&4 drubbing at the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain today.

Tom Lewis beat Australian John Senden on his Volvo World Match Play debut in Spain today - and as a result put himself and defending champion Ian Poulter into the last 16.

Open champion Darren Clarke has been drawn alongside England’s Justin Rose and Robert Rock in the group stages of this week’s Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella this week.

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.