Dustin Johnson returns to the major championship arena at St Andrews on Thursday resolved to leave behind his status as golf’s nearly man and in the process stop Jordan Spieth’s bid for Grand Slam glory.

Overcast conditions today greeted the early starters as the third round of the Open Championship got under way at Muirfield.

Veteran Mark O’Meara hit out at younger players who “whine a lot” after the older generation shone on day one at the Open Championship.

American James Driscoll made the perfect start to the 141st Open Championship when play got under way in calm, overcast conditions at Royal Lytham this morning.

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy is with 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen and reigning USPGA champion Keegan Bradley at the Open Championship.

Eye drops were of little comfort to Graeme McDowell at a windswept Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha yesterday.

LOVE him or loathe him, it’s hard to ignore John Daly.

Nobody could complain about the quality of the leaderboard when the Omega Dubai Desert Classic began today - even before Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer had teed off.

Irish golfer Darren Clarke is just one shot behind the leaders after finishing the third round of the Volvo Golf Champions today.

Peter Hanson became the man to catch after a sparkling burst around the turn at the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

Big-hitting Spaniard Alvaro Quiros quickly established himself as the man to catch at the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain today.

US Open champion Graeme McDowell was upstaged by world number 317 John Parry, who carded a second-round 67 to take the lead at the Austrian Open in Atzenbrugg.

Germany’s Martin Kaymer led the KLM Open at Hilversum by three shots entering the last nine holes today.

USPGA champion Martin Kaymer held the joint lead midway through his third round of the KLM Open alongside an unfamiliar face in Paraguay's Fabrizio Zanotti as the halfway leaders faltered at Hilversum today.

AMERICAN Todd Hamilton’s decision to join the European Tour could bring him a first victory since the 2004 Open Championship this weekend.

European Tour big-hitter Nicolas Colsaerts equalled his lowest score on the circuit with an opening eight-under-par 62 in the KLM Open at Hilversum today.

RORY McILROY believes fellow young gun Rickie Fowler earned his Ryder Cup captain’s pick after winning the respect of American veterans on the PGA Tour.

AS always after an Open Championship, especially one at St Andrews, there are many talking points.

A WEEK may be a long time in politics but for Darren Clarke the last seven days have been among the sweetest of his career despite his failure to win the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

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.

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

Phil Mickelson's latest bid to topple Tiger Woods as world number one starts at Loch Lomond tomorrow, but he looked as though he had just been in a fight this morning.

THE field for the ‘3’ Irish Open at Killarney’s Golf and Fishing Club (July 29-August 1) was yesterday boosted by the inclusion of Rory McIlroy, the weekend’s PGA championship winner Simon Khan and 2004 British Open champion Todd Hamilton.

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.

PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON is taking time out from his US Masters build-up to meet President Obama at the White House on St Patrick’s Day.

Seve Ballesteros, who is still recovering from a brain tumour, is among the golfing stars who have been invited to compete in the Champions Challenge on the eve of next July’s Open at St Andrews.

Phil Mickelson has, as expected, confirmed that he will not be playing the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond the week after next.

Ricky Barnes took a one-shot lead into the final round of the US Open but it could have been so much better for the American at Bethpage Black.

Ricky Barnes further staked his claim to a US Open victory as the third round finally resumed today with the major heading for a first Monday finish since 1983.

Lee Westwood defied the rain and a bad draw to climb into the top 10 at the US Open on Saturday as PGA Tour rookie Ricky Barnes took the one-shot halfway lead at Bethpage Black and Tiger Woods made the cut.

PGA Tour rookie Ricky Barnes posted the target to shoot for at the rain-hit US Open halfway mark as the rain returned to Bethpage Black and Tiger Woods headed the right side of the projected cut line.

PGA Tour rookie Ricky Barnes posted the target to shoot for at the rain-hit US Open halfway mark as Tiger Woods began his second round hoping to beat approaching storms and the halfway cut.

First-round leader Mike Weir returned to the top of the US Open leaderboard as the leading contenders tried to beat the fast approaching rain storms at Bethpage Black.

Padraig Harrington will tee-off with defending champion Tiger Woods and 2007 champion Angel Cabrera at this week's US Open at Bethpage, New York.

Luke Donald and Paul Casey both went low on the final day of the Verizon Heritage on Sunday night but neither could prevent Brian Gay from breezing to victory at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Brian Gay strengthened his lead at the Verizon Heritage with a bogey-free third round four-under-par 67 at Harbour Town Golf Links in South Carolina.

Luke Donald made his move in the Verizon Heritage in South Carolina today as he posted an early low score to give the leaders something to think about at Harbour Town Golf Links.

American Brian Gay charged into the halfway lead at the Verizon Heritage as former Open champion Todd Hamilton made a timely return to form.

Former Open champion Todd Hamilton moved to the top of the leaderboard at the Verizon Heritage today as overnight pacesetter Alex Cejka battled to stay in touch.

Germany's Alex Cejka grabbed the first-round lead at the Verizon Heritage event as Jose Maria Olazabal found his way onto a leaderboard again at Harbour Town Golf Links.

If Padraig Harrington misses out on a third successive major by a single shot tomorrow there is one moment that will be shown over and over again.

Just when it seemed he was coping with all that windy Augusta National could throw at him Rory McIlroy dropped a crushing five shots in two holes today and tumbled off The Masters leaderboard.

Just when it seemed he was coping with all that Augusta National could throw at him Rory McIlroy four-putted today and tumbled off The Masters leaderboard.

Graeme McDowell thought he was going well in The Masters at windy Augusta today - until he looked up and saw what he called “unbelievable” golf.