Shane Lowry spoke of his “anguish” at being forced to give up on his Olympic medal dream over his fears of contracting the Zika virus in Rio.

Spanish debutant Jon Rahm showed his first round was no flash in the pan at Congressional as he kept a share of the lead in the Quicken Loans National.

Rory McIlroy is certainly the biggest name to pull out of this summer’s Olympics in Rio because of concerns over the Zika virus but he is not the first.

Rory McIlroy feels playing in this summer’s Olympics is not worth the risk after announcing his withdrawal due to concerns over the Zika virus.

Former world number one golfer Vijay Singh says he will skip this summer’s Rio Olympics, citing the Zika virus as the reason.

The sight of European big guns limping over the finish line early on Sunday at the Masters need not necessarily give Ryder Cup team captain Darren Clarke cause for panic five months out from the 41st match-up at Hazeltine.

Jordan Spieth spent the first official practice day of the new year in good company.

No. 1, 408 yards, par 4:

How can you reasonably define a great golf course? 

Ohio is the birthplace of golf’s most famous son Jack Nicklaus, so it was a fitting stage for Shane Lowry to “come of age” in winning one of the game’s most prestigious titles, the Bridgestone World Golf Championship on Sunday night. 

Jordan Spieth roared into contention with a stunning 64 at the John Deere Classic on Friday as he showed his game was in fine shape heading into next week’s Open Championship.

Ernie Els has always been a rugby player at heart, a big and bruising heavyweight champion in a sport, golf, that doesn’t fancy itself for that weight class.

After weeks of dealing with Ryder Cup captaincy matters, Darren Clarke can at least for the next fortnight get back to focusing fully on his chosen profession.

While Tiger Woods wrestles with back issues and sharply declining form and Vijay Singh has battled assorted health problems in recent years, veteran Jim Furyk is playing some of the best golf of his career.

His hands had been back on the Wanamaker Trophy barely two hours, but Rory McIlroy was already keenly aware of his place in golfing history and, more importantly, the next landmarks he wanted to reach in the game.

It was written in the stars. With their powerful long games, silky smooth swings and superstar swagger, it was simply a question of when, not if, they would win the Masters.

Larry Ryan brings you the daft controversies, wacky conspiracy theories, memorable quotes and some of the craziest lines from the sporting year.

Paul McGinley continues to make it clear that he will be his own man when attempting to mastermind Europe’s Ryder Cup defence at Gleneagles next year.

Rory McIlroy will launch the defence of his PGA Championship title today confident that his smooth swing can find a way back into his game and march in behind a renewed pep in his step.

Anchored putters, dodgy drops and armchair referees. Drugs. Top players behaving like kids in the schoolyard.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem admits the status of deer antler spray is “kind of silly” after Vijay Singh was cleared of a doping offence despite admitting to using a substance that cannot be detected.

It was a week ago that R&A chief executive Peter Dawson held court in Scotland to discuss a myriad of hot topics in golf, from Tiger Woods’ controversial drop at the Masters, to Rory McIlroy’s Olympic status and the Vijay Singh doping case that is hanging around the game like a case of halitosis.

Former world number one Greg Norman has described golf's anti-doping procedures as "disgraceful" and called for blood testing to be introduced by the game's governing bodies.

Now that the excitement of the Masters has abated, the rank and file members of the European Tour get back to business this week when the Spanish Open visits the outstanding El Saler course in Valencia.

‘Gentle Ben’ the ideal man to guide teenage prodigy Guan through Augusta baptism

More players will make the halfway cut in the Masters this year after Augusta National chairman Billy Payne announced changes to the system used for 50 years.

Rory McIlroy may not yet consider it a rivalry but as Tiger Woods bids to end a five-season quest for his 15th Major championship, it is the Irishman whom he believes presents the biggest obstacle to a fifth Masters victory.

Former world number one Vijay Singh pulled out of the Waste Management Phoenix Open before the start yesterday after admitting he had used a deer antler spray which has previously been found to contain a banned growth hormone.

After news today that the PGA Tour is to investigate an allegation that Vijay Singh may have used deer antler spray that was previously found to contain a banned growth hormone, we got to thinking about other unusual doping incidents in sport.

The PGA Tour has said it will look into a report linking Vijay Singh with the use of a deer antler spray previously found to have contained a banned growth hormone.

It took some of golf’s cogniscenti a while to digest the depth of Rory McIlroy’s quality. No one is doubting the torch has passed now. By Jim McCabe.

Jim Furyk opened up a two-shot lead after seven holes of his third round at The McGladrey Classic at Sea Island.

PGA Tour rookie Jonas Blixt claimed his first title as a fourth straight sub-70 round saw him win the Frys.com Open by a stroke.

American John Mallinger could not repeat his day-two fireworks but did enough to hold a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Frys.com Open in California.

Davis Love III returned to the day job and found an American who failed to make his Ryder Cup team just too hot to keep pace with at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

World number one Rory McIlroy secured his second consecutive PGA Tour victory last night with a near-flawless final round in the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.

Rory McIlroy took a stranglehold on the $10m FedEx Cup and made another mark in the history books when he outplayed old enemy Lee Westwood in a thrilling back-nine battle to capture the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick for his second PGA Tour win in a row and his third in four starts.

Phil Mickelson equalled the course record with a stunning eight-under-par 64 last night to surge into a share of the lead alongside Vijay Singh in the PGA Tour BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana.

Tiger Woods fell off the pace at the BMW Championship in Carmel today, allowing Rory McIlroy and Vijay Singh to share the lead.

Rory McIlroy fired a round of 68 to lie just one shot behind leader Vijay Singh at the BMW Championship at the Crooked Stick course in Carmel, Indiana.

Vijay Singh moved into contention for his first tour win in four years as he took a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the BMW Championship at the Crooked Stick course in Carmel, Indiana.