Martin Laird insists he never even contemplated failing to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational yesterday.

PHIL MICKELSON must be beginning to think that he is cursed in his bid to overtake Tiger Woods in the world rankings for the first time since April 1997.

PÁDRAIG Harrington’s self-belief and confidence are two of the strongest weapons in his golfing armoury but both must be severely dented after a dreadful finish to the AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

Ian Poulter is set to start the defence of his WGC-Accenture Match Play title against 2009 Open champion Stewart Cink if all the world’s top 64 show up in Tucson next week.

Mark Wilson claimed the Sony Open in Hawaii after two consistent rounds on the final day saw him finish two shots ahead of Tim Clark and Steve Marino.

Overnight leader Stuart Appleby was tied with Shigeki Maruyama as the pair finished the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii with a two-shot lead.

American Roland Thatcher retained his four-shot lead despite a poor finish to his third round at the PGA Tour Children's Miracle Network Classic near Lake Buena Vista in Florida.

Former champion Paul Lawrie today got the 139th Open Championship under way in near-perfect conditions at St Andrews.

A CONTINUATION of the rain and howling wind that caused the cancellation of yesterday’s eagerly-awaited Champions Challenge celebrating 150 years of the Open Championship are predicted for the next four days.

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.

Any hopes Ernie Els and Retief Goosen had of climbing back into contention for The Masters nosedived today when they had a double bogey and triple bogey respectively early in their third rounds at Augusta.

Two days after telling Jack Nicklaus that Augusta National had become too tough for him, 60-year-old Tom Watson revived memories of last year’s Open with a brilliant start to the 2010 Masters.

After Greg Norman and Tom Watson at the last two Open Championships, Bernhard Langer struck another blow for the golden oldies when The Masters began at Augusta today.

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.

DOES anyone remember a calmer, more peaceful and respectful time in golf before fire hydrants became as hazardous on tour as the Island hole at TPC Sawgrass?

Phil Mickelson came from four shots back to win the Tour Championship in Georgia but Tiger Woods was the biggest winner as he took a $10m (€6.79m) bonus as the season-long FedEx Cup champion.

Kenny Perry upstaged overnight leader Tiger Woods in Georgia to lead the Tour Championship by two strokes going into the last round of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup finale, with Padraig Harrington slipping down the leaderboard to sit five shots off the pace.

THE late summer charge to make amends for a season of frustration continued for Pádraig Harrington in Atlanta last night as he moved into contention for an US$11 million FedEx Cup bonanza at the Tour Championship.

Padraig Harrington continued to mine a rich seam of recent form as he got off to a fast start at the Tour Championship in Atlanta today.

American duo Tiger Woods and Mark Wilson shared the lead at the end of the second round of the BMW Championship in Illinois.

Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington were two shots off the lead after the first round of the BMW Championship in Illinois today.

Heath Slocum saved par in dramatic fashion at the final hole to clinch a one-shot victory in The Barclays at Liberty National.

Padraig Harrington was in contention going into the final day at The Barclays at Liberty National in New Jersey, hitting a third-day 67 to sit at four under, five shots clear of Paul Goydos and Steve Marino at the top of the leaderboard.

PGA Tour rookie Webb Simpson defied difficult conditions in the second round of The Barclays at Liberty National to take a two-shot lead at the halfway stage.

Padraig Harrington has made a good start at the Barclay's Championship in New Jersey.

Padraig Harrington’s bid to make history may effectively be over but Tom Watson’s remarkable attempt to become the oldest ever winner of a major championship continued unabated at Turnberry today.

As Padraig Harrington’s bid for a third straight Open effectively ended, Tom Watson continued his attempt to become the oldest major winner in history at Turnberry today.

Padraig Harrington’s chances of winning a third consecutive Open Championship were blown firmly off course in today’s third round at Turnberry.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington failed to find the flying start he was looking for in the early stages of today’s third round of the Open Championship at Turnberry.

Low scoring again looked to be at a premium on the third morning of the 138th Open Championship at Turnberry.

IN spite of his status as pre-championship favourite, there was never any certainty Tiger Woods would win his fourth Open and 15th major at Turnberry.

Turnberry turned from a pussycat into a beast today - but while Tiger Woods became its biggest victim, Tom Watson continued magically on his merry way.

Defending champion Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy were set to see out the weekend at the Open Championship this evening after matching rounds of 74 left them three over.

Little-known American Steve Marino today set the early clubhouse target in the second round of the Open as a previously defenceless Turnberry exacted a measure of revenge on the world’s best players.

Miguel Angel Jimenez’s overnight lead was still intact when the Ryder Cup star began his second round of the Open Championship at a damp Turnberry today.

Luke Donald has shot a sparkling eight-under-par 64 on the first day of the Memorial tournament to take a three-shot lead.

Steve Stricker triumphed at the second extra hole to win the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial after a three-way play-off tonight.

Tim Clark holed a birdie on the final hole of his third round to take a two-stroke advantage into the final day of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Steve Stricker completed a two-round course record at the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Texas today but it was only good enough to secure the American a one-stroke lead at the top of the leaderboard.

Ian Poulter continued his impressive recent form today in the first round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Texas.

Tiger Woods finished with a flourish to establish a two-stroke lead after the first round of the Quail Hollow Championships in Charlotte.

One slack shot meant Ian Poulter lost some vital ground in the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans today.

Davis Love III broke through for his first victory in more than two years by winning the Children’s Miracle Network Classic last night.