IF THERE is one thing that frustrates Rory McIlroy it’s seeing new girlfriend, Caroline Wozniacki grasping golf quicker than he is taking to tennis.

The United States won the Golf World Cup after a final round of 67 was enough for Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland to capture the title by two strokes from Germany and England.

Ireland will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Golf World Cup after Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell carded a 64 in today's fourballs to move to 21 under par.

WHILE the future of the Mission Hills World Cup was assured behind closed doors, Rory McIlroy continued playing his Pied Piper role as he and Graeme McDowell put Ireland into a share of the lead with two rounds remaining on Hainan Island in China.

Ireland joined Australia at the top of the World Cup leaderboard after a 68 from Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in today’s foursomes lifted them to 13 under par.

Australia made a good start to today’s foursomes at the Golf World Cup to maintain their two-shot cushion over Ireland at the Mission Hills resort on Hainan island.

RORY MCILROY revealed he will pledge €75,000 of his savings to the Japan earthquake and tsunami appeal when he tees up alongside Japanese golfing heartthrob Ryo Ishikawa on Monday in Yokohama.

Australian duo Richard Green and Brendan Jones carded a superb 61 to take a two-shot lead over Ireland and Scotland after the first round of the World Cup in China.

Australia laid down an early marker at the Golf World Cup, taking the clubhouse lead on 11 under par to lead the field by four strokes.

THE US Open winning duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell are the closest of friends but there is one key difference in that relationship ahead of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup at Haikou in China.

Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell finally have the chance this week to make up for the disappointment of losing the World Cup by one shot two years ago.

RORY McILROY arrived at the giant Mission Hills complex on Hainan Island to a welcome usually afforded a head of state.

The Omega Mission Hills World Cup will return to the calendar in 2011 as a biennial event, with a record prize fund of $7.5m.

Typhoon Damrey slammed ashore in Vietnam today, knocking down trees and power lines after leaving nine people dead on China’s southern Hainan island, officials said.

Two late birdies saw defending champion Colin Montgomerie grab a share of the lead at the TCL Classic in China after posting a third-round 68 to keep alive his hopes of re-entering the world’s top 50 come tomorrow evening.

Defending champion Colin Montgomerie recovered from a run of three successive bogeys in his opening nine holes to remain just one shot off the lead at the TCL Classic in China.

Colin Montgomerie kept his hopes of qualifying for the US Masters alive with a superb second round at the TCL Classic in China this morning.

Irishman Paul McGinley is firmly in contention at the TCL Classic in China after firing a 69 to come in at 10 under.

Paul Casey’s first appearance outside America this season brought an instant reward as he stormed to the top of the leaderboard at the TCL Classic in China.

Colin Montgomerie’s bid to play in next month’s Masters has taken him to the Far East where he hopes a successful defence of his TCL Classic title will provide the necessary boost to qualify for the first major of the year.

Miss Peru, Maria Julia Mantilla Garcia, was crowned Miss World today in the southern Chinese city of Sanya.

Pieces of the disassembled US spy plane that collided earlier this year with a Chinese fighter jet have arrived in Hawaii.

Russian airline Polyot has won the tender for the right to transport the US Navy spy plane that landed in China out of the country and back to the United States, a company official said today.

The United States and China have moved a step closer to the return of a stranded American spy plane.

China and the United States have agreed to have a US Navy spy plane disassembled and shipped home.

China and the United States are at odds over a proposed US missile shield, but initial talks on the issue were constructive, a US envoy said today.

A top Chinese official has said he believes his country and the United States have resolved their dispute over the downed US spy plane, and agreed to hold China’s highest level meeting with the Bush administration since the crisis began.

China today protested at the resumption of US spy flights near its coast and said in retaliation it will not allow the release of the damaged surveillance plane it impounded after a mid-air collision.

Military officials were today being briefed by a team of American technicians who have inspected a downed US Navy spy plane in China, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command said.

As US technicians prepared to inspect a grounded Navy spy plane, an American military spokesman said today that Washington still hopes to fly home the aircraft damaged in a collision with a Chinese fighter jet.

The US has admitted that secrets were lost when a spy plane made an emergency landing in China.

US and Chinese negotiators today ended two days of talks with no sign of agreement on the return of an American spy plane or Beijing’s demand for an end to surveillance flights near its coast.

The pilot of the US spy plane involved in the spy plane dispute in China says his crew has no reason to apologise to the Chinese.

The crew of the US spy plane have received a hero's welcome after finally landing on home soil.

The plane carrying the 24 crew members of the US EP-3 spy plane has left the island of Guam for Hawaii.

The crew of the US spy plane, held in China for 12 days, is back on American territory.

George W Bush says plans are under way to bring home the crew of the US spy plane from China.

China's top military newspaper has said Beijing is entitled to "investigate thoroughly" the detained crew of a US naval spy plane.

China's top military newspaper has defended the Beijing government after it admitted questioning the 24-strong American air crew.

China says that American expressions of regret over the apparent death of one of its jet fighter pilots are unacceptable.

US diplomats are awaiting a third meeting with members of the spy plane's crew stranded on Hainan island.

US diplomats planned meeting with the captured spy plane’s crew on a Chinese island was delayed without explanation today.

US diplomats are to meet again with the crew of a spy plane marooned on a Chinese island.

George Bush has said he 'regrets' the loss of a Chinese pilot - but stopped short of an apology over the spy plane row.