Both Rory McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington insist it would be foolish to write off Tiger Woods’ chances of capturing a 15th Major Championship at next week’s British Open at Royal Liverpool.

Pádraig Harrington hopes a share of fifth at his season-opening Volvo Champions in Durban is a sign of things to come in 2014.

Irish golf photographer Pat Cashman found himself at the other end of the camera lens at the Volvo Champions event in Durban yesterday.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington hailed the skills of his stand-in caddie after regular bagman Ronan Flood needed medical treatment during the second round of the Volvo Golf Champions on Friday.

He’s never been a fan of the course and has never played well in the tournament at Crans-sur-Sierre but then Pádraig Harrington warmed up for the Omega European Masters shooting a 66 in yesterday’s Pro-Am.

Pádraig Harrington arrived at Augusta National clearly in an upbeat mood and boasting the best record in the Majors of any player in the past five years.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON had a challenge making his first round tee time yesterday but he faces a considerably bigger test this evening as he tries to make the halfway cut at the 93rd PGA Championship.

WHEN Pádraig Harrington admitted after missing his fifth cut of the year at Killarney yesterday that “change is required”, the key men in his backroom team such as coach Bob Torrance, caddie Ronan Flood and sports psychologist Bob Rotella might have felt they had good cause to worry.

Irish interest in the Ryder Cup doesn’t stop at the three players and the two vice-captains. There’s also a trio of bagmen keeping their employers on the short grass. Charlie Mulqueen explains

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is convinced the next three days of the Vivendi Cup will do him “no end of good” as he finalises his preparations for the Ryder Cup in Celtic Manor.

WHEN you’re young and impressionable, there’s always the danger that you might say something you later regret.

THE Ryder Cup selection of the Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, is the latest chapter in the incredible development of Italian golf.

IRELAND’S greening of the Ryder Cup matches at Celtic Manor in October deepened in hue yesterday not only with Padraig Harrington’s inclusion as one of Colin Montgomerie’s wild card picks but also the call-up for the 29 year-old Italian Edoardo Molinari.

PADRAIG Harrington will seek reassurance from the manner of his 2008 US PGA Championship victory that his first victory since then is not already out of reach following a disappointing opening round at Whistling Straits.

HAVING taken a few weeks off to recharge the batteries, recover from a few nagging aches and get in a few hours of practice, Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy return to action in this week’s Shell Houston Open.

IT says a lot for the strength of the game in Ireland that we have four players involved in the US Open starting at Bethpage Park this morning.

THE strength in depth of the European Tour was demonstrated graphically at Baltray yesterday when 89 players finished under par in the opening round of the 3 Irish Open. But Pádraig Harrington, the pre-tournament favourite and 2007 champion, was not a member of that elite group.

PÁDRAIG Harrington returns home from the US this morning striking a low-key tone ahead of this week’s 3 Irish Open.

THERE were no tears, no locked doors and no trip to the rehab clinic, but those nearest and dearest to Pádraig Harrington have staged an intervention for the three-time major winner.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington shot a second-round 72 at The Players Championship today and admitted his closest advisers had intervened to rescue him from his golf swing “addiction”.

Open champion Padraig Harrington had another injury scare during practice this morning but is determined to defend his title at Royal Birkdale.

Open champion Padraig Harrington’s much-anticipated fitness test on an injured wrist lasted just two shots at Royal Birkdale this morning.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern today paid tribute to the "skill, courage and nerve" of new British Open champion Padraig Harrington at a reception in Government Buildings in Dublin.

THE new British Open winner yesterday revealed that he did not like the look of his winning putt at the British Open Championship, despite nervelessly rolling it in for victory.

THOUGH understandably surprised that his Irish Open victory moved him up just one spot from 12th to 11th in the World Rankings, Pádraig Harrington was content to put his feet up yesterday and ponder the events of the past week.

A COUPLE of hours after his victory in the Irish Open, Padraig Harrington was signing autographs for admirers when a lady asked him if he was going back to Dublin.

IT’S been a turbulent year in many ways for Pádraig Harrington and nothing seems to change.

THE Smurfit European Open could hardly have scripted things better for their €3.4m championship beginning over the original Palmer North Course at The K Club on Thursday.

MAGICAL! That’s the best word Ronan Flood can find to describe his first working visit to the Masters.

IT wasn’t just the players who were in a quandary as to the kind of golf course they would wake up and find at Augusta this morning.

IT wasn’t a very pleasant day at City West. The Irish rugby team arrived back drenched to the skin after their session down the N7 at Naas.

IAN WOOSNAM and Nick Faldo should hold the European Ryder Cup captaincy in 2006 and 2008 respectively.

THE THUMB injury sustained by Pádraig Harrington in the World Matchplay has almost fully healed and he is in good shape going into this week's Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON’S decision to sack long-time caddy Dave McNeilly last May and replace him with family friend Ronan Flood was one of the most controversial stories in Irish sport throughout the summer.

EUROPEAN captain Bernhard Langer readily admitted that he regarded Pádraig Harrington as one of his key men for the successful defence of the Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.

ONE of the most valuable lessons of the unfortunate incidents during the 1999 match at Brookline is that no alcohol will be allowed on the South Course during this week’s Ryder Cup match at Oakland Hills.

THE ROYAL & Ancient aren’t generally known for a sense of humour and would never, it was imagined, get up to a bit of mischief.

A FOURTH top ten finish of the season was scant consolation for Paul McGinley at The K Club yesterday.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON is not one to court controversy but lately it seems to follow him around.

Wanted: a top caddie to travel the world with Padraig Harrington, one of golf’s top players.

Padraig Harrington, reported to be replacing caddie Dave McNeilly after the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Heidelberg today, drew level with leader Gregory Havret when the final round began.