World number one golfer Rory McIlroy has settled his long and bitter contract dispute with his former agent in a deal believed to be worth more than €17.25m.

The world’s number one golfer Rory McIlroy is to continue negotiations with his former agent in an attempt to avert a potentially long and bitter courtroom showdown over a multimillion euro contract dispute.

Irish golfer Rory McIlroy is set for a courtroom showdown today in a lawsuit against his former agent.

The world’s number one golfer is set for a courtroom showdown tomorrow in a lawsuit against his former agent.

A High Court judge has ordered the world’s number one golfer Rory McIlroy and his former management company, Horizon Sports Management, to engage in peace talks over the next four weeks.

Irish golfer Graeme McDowell last night toasted the "happiest moment of my life" as he welcomed his first child into the world, a life-changing moment that followed hot on the heels of a career-changing one.

Horizon Sports Management released a statement yesterday evening announcing that Graeme McDowell will leave the company when his current contract expires at the end of the year.

-Judge: Details on McDowell’s role in sports agency to be disclosed

An email sent by golfer Rory McIlroy in October 2011 indicated no difficulty with a proposed representation agreement under which he would pay commission rates of 20% and 5% respectively on his off- and on-course earnings, the Commercial Court in Dublin was told yesterday.

The cash pile at Horizon Sports more than doubled to €506,882 last year, as it prospered overseeing the career of superstar golfer Rory McIlroy.

A Cork nursing home, which closed earlier this year, has been sharply criticised by the Employment Appeals Tribunal for its bullying of a worker who was fired after allegedly stealing a mug.

Golfer Rory McIlroy has claimed he paid over $6.8m (€5m) to his agent Horizon Sports Management Ltd based on unreasonable fee rates “many times greater” than is standard in the sports agency industry.

Golf star Rory McIlroy signed a contract with his sports management company on the day of the firm’s Christmas party, court papers claim.

YOU can understand Graeme McDowell’s disappointment at Rory McIlroy’s decision to leave Horizon Sports Management after just 18 months in the same stable.

Rory McIlroy has moved to defuse tomorrow’s face-to-face with the media by revealing exclusively to a US magazine that walking off the course at the Honda Classic last Friday “was not the right thing to do”.

The acquisition of superstar golfer Rory McIlroy boosted Horizon Sports Management’s fortunes in 2011, with accumulated profits more than doubling to €275,217.

Apparel-maker Oakley has sued Rory McIlroy and Nike, insisting the world No 1 and the equipment giant breached his existing contract with Oakley when he recently signed a new deal with Nike estimated to be worth $250m.

Rory McIlroy’s story is well documented.

While a Rory McIlroy-inspired Shane Lowry muscles his way into contention, Graeme McDowell was lucky he didn’t break his hand on day two of the WGC–HSBC Champions event in Shenzhen.

He might have struggled with the sheer size and weight of the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy, but Rory McIlroy was more relieved on Sunday night to rid himself of the heavy burden of expectation.

Their achievements at Bandon Show last Sunday hold out promise of another good year for top national exhibitors Seamus Lehane and Ricky Barrett.

A Fine Gael councillor who lost the party whip over accepting a political donation has claimed she was used as a “scapegoat” by the party.

A Fine Gael councillor named in the Mahon Report has claimed she is being used as a Quarryvale payments “scapegoat” while more senior officials facing “identical” questions are cleared of wrongdoing.

Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell has been exonerated by a party disciplinary committee over the Mahon Tribunal and declared a member who remained in “high standing”.

Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell has been exonerated by the party's disciplinary committee in relation to findings made about her in the Mahon Tribunal report.

Michael Hoey last night confirmed his departure from the Horizon Sports agency.

Anne Devitt, who has quit Fine Gael in the wake of the Mahon Report, has said she never did anything that had “impinged” on her duty to constitutents.

THE conditions of the contest aren’t exactly in his favour, but in-form Elusive Ridge still gets the nap to take the Crowne Plaza Hotel Race at Dundalk tonight.

SUPER agent Conor Ridge experienced an emotional Sunday at the UBS Hong Kong Open.

RORY McILROY will still visit a Dubai hospital later today despite an energy-charged performance in capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open.

ONE of the first aspects on the agenda of Horizon Sports Conor Ridge in managing the affairs of Rory McIlroy has been to curb the ‘madness’ of his client’s heavy end-of-season schedule.

THE Chinese government has a history of detaining dissidents, but putting the US Open golf trophy under lock and key sounds too bizarre to be true.

A FORMER Garda detective has described Bishop of Raphoe Philip Boyce’s claims that the diocese has no allegation on file about convicted paedophile priest Eugene Greene as “pathetic”.

THE detective responsible for exposing the horrific sex abuse in the diocese of Raphoe in Donegal has said the lid is set to explode on the entire affair.

NEWS International executive Rebekah Brooks apologised to gathered News of the World staff yesterday, telling them the paper had become “toxic” and promising to try to find them jobs elsewhere in the company.

Former News of the World journalist Sophy Ridge said Rebekah Brooks told staff at the tabloid today that she was staying on at News International "because she is a conductor for it all".

IN-FORM Ger Lyons dominated last night’s flat action in Wexford, completing a superb treble with Music Pearl, Solent Ridge and Sixty Eight Guns, the first and last leg providing former champion Johnny Murtagh with a double.

GRAEME McDOWELL, now up to fifth in the world rankings, is confident that a change from Callawayto Srixon clubs will not harm hisprospects of making a strong start tothe new season in Hawaii this week.

PHANTASY Rock will be strongly fancied to complete a hat-trick for Willie Mullins and Eddie Linehan in the Slievenamon Handicap in Clonmel this evening.

SHANE LOWRY begins his first major championship in the United States today finally beginning to feel at home amongst the best players in the world.

ROSS FISHER, a 29-year-old from the horseracing haven of Ascot, proved at Killarney yesterday that nice guys do come first.

TWO and a half years ago Conor Ridge was managing a group of promising young Irish golfers and wondering if and when he was going to break into the space filled by the massive International Management Group (IMG) or the International Sports Management Group (ISM).

A COUPLE of weeks ago, Graeme McDowell became the first European winner of the US Open in 40 years for two very good reasons.