Rory McIlroy's indifferent run of form continued in the St Andrews Links Trophy at the Home of Golf.

AS Paul McGinley and co play for the £1 million first prize in the HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, other matters are taxing the minds of hundreds of hopefuls all over Europe.

ENGLAND’S Laura Davies bagged the birdies and dodged the bad weather as she set her sights on a fifth Ladies’ English Open title with a first-round 67 yesterday at Chart Hills in Kent.

While Jay Haas was taking an early lead in the US Open, the man who defeated him in the Ryder Cup ine years ago was struggling in France.

NICK FALDO is a step nearer to achieving his dream of building “the best and most unique links golf course in the world” at Bartragh Island off the Mayo coast.

LEINSTER go into today’s Golfsure Youth Interprovincial Golf Tournament at Lahinch as defending champions but such is the galaxy of talent among the other provinces that a retention of the trophy is by no means certain.

England's Benn Barham carded a superb opening 65 in the Caltex Masters in Singapore, but had Open champion Ernie Els breathing down his neck before bad weather halted play.

MICHAEL HOEY held on to his overnight lead at the halfway stage of the European Tour School stage one qualifier at Cheshire’s Carden Park when he added a 68 to his course record 63 for an 11 under par aggregate.

MICHAEL HOEY broke the course record with a flawless eight-under-par 63 in the first round of the European Tour School stage one qualifier at Carden Park, Cheshire, yesterday.

LITTLE progress is reported in the search for a sponsor prepared to maintain the status and reputation of the Irish Open.