Tiger Woods put the heat on the Golf Channel over analyst Brandel Chamblee’s insinuation of him cheating.

World number 267 Roberto Castro took a three-shot lead into the second round of the prestigious Players Championship, but a quick glance at the leaderboard put his chances of a first PGA Tour title on Sunday into stark perspective.

Rory McIlroy had never made the cut or finished under par in any of his three previous appearances in the Players Championship over the TPC course at Sawgrass, but he never put a foot wrong in yesterday’s opening round of the 2013 tournament.

Pádraig Harrington this week samples the incredible atmosphere surrounding the par-three 16th hole at the TPC Stadium course in Scottsdale, Arizona as he makes his debut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Rory McIlroy is bound to find himself even more in demand after what he did in Dubai this weekend.

Rory McIlroy has clung onto his spot at the summit of the world rankings despite missing the cut at The Players Championship on Friday night.

Rory McIlroy’s third reign as world number one could last just a week after another missed cut in the Players Championship.

The world number one spot could change for the sixth time in 11 weeks on Sunday — but the Players Championship at Sawgrass is about far more than just that.

Rory McIlroy starts his third spell as world No 1 this week by returning to the event he turned his back on last year.

The USPGA Tour like to call it the ‘Fifth Major’ and with a prize fund of $9.5m (€7.3m) and the presence of nine of the top 10 in the world rankings, the 39th Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass looks like living up to expectations.

Rory McIlroy says he split with manager Andrew Chandler last year because he felt his career was taking a wrong direction.

Rory McIlroy has revealed he dumped manager Andrew ’Chubby’ Chandler because he felt he was “being led down the wrong path”.

Tiger Woods is out of the Open – and soon he will be out of the world’s top 20 as well.

RORY McILROY received “a very long text message” from Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson following his final round collapse at the US Masters.

Only a month after Rory McIlroy shot 80 to blow The Masters, Graeme McDowell had his own horror show in America last night.

THE passing of the peerless Seve Ballesteros at the weekend has overshadowed everything else in the game of golf to such an extent that it seems almost disrespectful to discuss anything else.

Tiger Woods looks set for a return from injury in time to play next week’s Players Championship – golf’s richest event – at Sawgrass in Florida.

TIGER WOODS has yet to say whether he will be fit enough for the Players Championship next week but Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will not be taking part in golf’s richest event.

Tiger Woods has yet to say whether he will be fit enough for the Players Championship next week but Rory McIlroy has confirmed he will not be taking part in golf’s richest event.

RORY McILROY and Padraig Harrington will continue their single-minded chase for major glory by doing things their own special way next season.

The biggest first prize in golf might not be enough to attract Rory McIlroy next year.

Irish golfer Rory McIlroy credits Jack Nicklaus with helping him secure his breakthrough win in America, so would love nothing more than winning Nicklaus' own tournament this week.

TIGER WOODS has no plans to appoint a new coach as he prepares to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, which gets underway today.

LEE WESTWOOD will be back in action at Wentworth next week eager to show that two more disappointments have not left lasting scars.

THE so called fifth major, the Players Championship at Sawgrass over the weekend, proved a salutary lesson for Ireland’s top two players, Rory McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington.

Tiger Woods will presumably be letting people know through his website the result of a scan on the neck injury which led to him pulling out of his third comeback event yesterday.

Lee Westwood soared into the halfway lead at The Players Championship in Florida while Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy both missed the cut.

Rory McIlroy is the Irishman the world of golf is talking about, but Padraig Harrington will be very happy to change that this week.

Rory McIlroy makes his debut at The Players Championship today well aware of the narrow margins for error at TPC Sawgrass.

Dane Soren Hansen is the only member of last year’s Ryder Cup team not to have qualified for next week’s Players Championship – golf’s unofficial fifth major - in Florida.

TIGER WOODS has warned his recovery is ahead of schedule as he goes into the final warm-up event for the Players Championship this week.

Sergio Garcia hopes a surge in confidence and a much-improved short game can propel him to US Open success.

Rory McIlroy, the Irish boy wonder who took the European Tour by storm when he turned professional late last year, is coming to terms with the fact that getting to the top is likely to be a marathon and not a sprint.

For a few magical moments today Robert Karlsson thought he could be just minutes away from becoming the first player ever to score 59 on the European Tour.

Despite his lofty world ranking, Justin Rose has hardly been a name on everyone’s lips going into the Players Championship which begins today.

Robert Karlsson is hoping his decision not to play the Players Championship in Florida – golf’s unofficial fifth major – pays massive dividends for him in Milan this week.

Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano has won the Italian Open at Tolcinsco after a play-off with Austrian Markus Brier.

PAUL McGINLEY strolled from the Augusta National locker room to the practice range as if he was beginning his preparation for just another run-of-the-mill tournament instead of his second tilt at the Masters.

For Sergio Garcia, next week’s Masters becomes even more important after what happened at the Players Championship this weekend.

Just 32 days after being hammered by Tiger Woods, former European Tour player Stephen Ames was heading for the biggest win of his career in Florida.

Greg Owen, like Jean Van de Velde more famous for losing a tournament than winning one, and Ian Poulter saw their dreams of playing in this year’s Masters fade away today.

Greg Owen came off Sawgrass proud of himself today after showing the golfing world that he is a real fighter as well as a quality player.

GREG OWEN came off Sawgrass proud of himself yesterday after showing the golfing world he is a real fighter as well as a quality player.

TWO Irishmen watched Greg Owen’s misery at Bay Hill on Sunday from the closest possible quarters.