Double Major champion Rory McIlroy toasted Fota Island Resort’s success in landing the 2014 Irish Open as the Cork parkland course celebrated its return to the world golf stage for the first time in 12 years.

No tricks, no gimmicks, just a good, fair test of golf is what Fota Island Resort hopes to deliver for this year’s Irish Open in June.

This country has produced many of the game’s finest but for reasons not always easy to fathom, their record at the Irish Open is a long way short of what might have been expected.

European Team captain, Jose Maria Olazabal produced his lowest score in three years on the final day of the BMW Italian Open and assured the world there would not be a repeat of mindless Nick Faldo Ryder Cup ‘Opening Speech’ of four years ago.

SWEDEN’S IKEA, the world’s biggest furniture retailer, yesterday posted a record profit for the fiscal 2010/11 year on the back of growing sales and a bigger share in almost all of its markets.

YOU could draw a strong similarity in the pitching and rolling of the boat Darren Clarke was aboard last Monday and the rocking nature of the unique 17th hole island green at the Amata Spring Country Club at this week’s Thailand Golf Championship.

MIGUEL Angel Jimenez believes the lack of a dominant force in the world of golf makes it an exciting time for spectators, but would still like to see Tiger Woods get back to his best.

IT promises to be an exciting moving day today at the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland as Marcel Siem takes a one-stroke lead into the third round with 24 players within five shots of him.

AUGUSTA’S Amen Corner has a rival.

THERE may be green, white and gold at the top of the Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland leaderboard heading into today’s second round but it belongs to an Indian, not any one of the four Irish Major champions who drew in the big crowds in Killarney yesterday.

THREE major champions will be among the 27 home golfers taking part in the Irish Open Championship at Killarney from July 28 to 31.

Anthony Kang shot the best round of the UBS Hong Kong Open so far with a nine-under-par 61 giving the American the clubhouse lead midway through the second round.

A blistering eight-under-par 62 from Mark Brown propelled the New Zealander into the first round lead at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.

Jim Furyk’s win at the Tour Championship – by a shot from England’s Luke Donald - sees America go into their defence of the Ryder Cup this week with four of the world’s top five players.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington, who was given a Ryder Cup wild card for Europe, falls out of the top 20 in the world rankings for the first time in more than four years.

American Charley Hoffman’s runaway five-shot win at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston – the second event of the FedEx Cup play-offs – lifts him from 132nd to 51st in the world.

Paul Casey may feel down in the dumps, but he has moved up in the world.

Europe Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has named Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald and Edoardo Molinari as his three wild card picks to face America at Celtic Manor on October 1-3.

THE bush telegraph was humming in the Scottish Highlands last night with speculation increasing that Pádraig Harrington could miss out on a Ryder Cup “wild card” pick.

Sweden’s Peter Hanson is up to 40th in the world, a rise of nine places, with his victory at the Czech Open.

Sergio Garcia is down to 50th in the world and is in an even more precarious Ryder Cup position than Tiger Woods.

Ross Fisher has scraped back into the world’s top 20 after his 3 Irish Open victory.

Less than one point now separates the world’s top three golfers – Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood – and any of the three could be number one after next week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio.

The new US Open champion Graeme McDowell will have to wait until just before 2pm on Thursday when he tees off with two former winners of that title, Jim Furyk and Geoff Ogilvy at the Open in St Andrews.

GRAEME MCDOWELL threw open the curtains of his $500 a night hotel room at the Monterey Plaza on Cannery Row and stepped out onto the balcony to drink in the salty air and the stunning views.

Graeme McDowell and Justin Rose are up to 36th and 33rd in the world after their wins on both sides of the Atlantic.

Brian Davis’ second runners-up finish of the year in America has taken him from 110th to 72nd in the world.

Simon Khan has climbed a massive 365 places on the world rankings to 106th following his stunning BMW PGA Championship victory at Wentworth.

Padraig Harrington was part of a five-way tie for fifth heading into the final day of his first BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

Wentworth history was made today and European Tour history could be made there tomorrow – by a player who on Friday night was in Monaco.

Padraig Harrington celebrated his return to the European Tour’s flagship event by taking a share of the early lead at Wentworth today.

Ryder Cup golfer Soren Hansen has been fined for tax evasion.

Lee Westwood has reached the world number three position for the first time in his career.

Rory McIlroy is back in the world’s top 10 and Phil Mickelson can topple Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings this week.

ONE month he wins the Champion Hurdle with Binocular, the next it’s the Aintree Grand National, and it seems life just couldn’t get any better for JP McManus.

Jim Furyk is back up to fifth in the world after his Verizon Heritage Classic victory, while Londoner Brian Davis, who conceded their play-off after calling a two-shot penalty on himself, still rises 68 places to 98th.

RYDER CUP captain Colin Montgomerie shrugged off any concerns over a dip in form of Europe’s leading players with only Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter competing against an American resurgence six months ahead of October’s Celtic Manor showdown.

Padraig Harrington drops out of the top 10 in the world after he missed the cut in The Augusta Masters at the weekend.

Tiger Woods will play with fellow American Matt Kuchar and Korean KJ Choi in the first two rounds of The Masters on Thursday and Friday.

Padraig Harrington's joint-eighth result at the Transitions Championship over the weekend has kept in the world top 10.

Rory McIlroy has been knocked out of the world’s top 10 following his dismal showing at the WGC-CA Championship.

Padraig Harrington has dropped from 10th to 13th in the world after finishing in a tie for 40th at the Honda Classic in Florida.

South Korean teenager Noh Seung-yul edged out veteran compatriot KJ Choi by one shot to win the Maybank Malaysian Open today following a dramatic finale at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

Rising Welsh star Rhys Davies remained on course for a maiden career title at the Maybank Malaysian Open after earning a share of a one shot lead alongside Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the top of a tightly congested third-round leaderboard today.