Shane Lowry has reset his goals and regained his hunger for the game as he looks to build on the biggest win of his career.

Paul Dunne is hoping history can repeat itself with the rookie pro looking to follow in the footsteps of Rory McIlroy by securing his European Tour card at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

England’s Oliver Wilson will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but world number one Rory McIlroy is one of the Englishman’s nearest challengers.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry set the clubhouse target on a difficult second day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Friday.

World number one Rory McIlroy was struggling to reproduce his Ryder Cup form on the opening day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday.

So what does a Ryder Cup captain do, once he’s delivered the trophy to his bosses at the European Tour?

Scotland's Scott Jamieson came agonisingly close to recording the first ever 59 on the European Tour in the third round of the Portugal Masters today.

Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is smart enough not to comment on the private life of his expected Gleneagles side but there was no hiding his pleasure in learning Rory McIlroy has sorted out his management affairs.

After many unsuccessful attempts at mastering a surfboard, Shane Lowry continued to stand upright in the ancient club-and-ball game with a four under par 68 on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The PGA Tour money list title is already in the bag for Rory McIlroy, but the battle to be the European circuit’s number one this season may not be settled for another eight weeks.

Ernie Els has lavished praise on fellow South African Branden Grace today ahead of the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

It may have been dubbed ’Car-nasty’ in 1999, but Carnoustie appeared to be holding no fears for Dunhill Links pace-setter Branden Grace today.

Branden Grace holds the biggest halfway lead of the European Tour season after a second-round 67 in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews today.

South African Branden Grace today equalled the European Tour record with a round of 60 at Kingsbarns in the first round of the Dunhill Links Championship.

Next year’s European Tour will again include just one event Ireland, two in England, one in Wales and three in Scotland.

Next year’s European Tour has been confirmed with the Irish Open switching from late July to the end of June, but with a venue yet to be announced.

IRELAND’S Michael Hoey and Englishman Tommy Fleetwood stormed clear of a host of big names, sharing the second-round lead at the Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

Michael Hoey holds the lead on 12-under par at the Alfred Dunhill links Championship.

Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie were today among those hoping to take advantage of more perfect conditions in the second round of the Dunhill Links Championship.

Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell believes he faces a tough task to book his place on Europe’s team to defend the trophy in Chicago next year.

RORY McILROY thanked his father for keeping him in contention in the Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

Lee Westwood battled on in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews today, but whether he would make it through the entire week because of his injured calf remained to be seen.

Nine of Europe’s triumphant Ryder Cup side – plus captain Colin Montgomerie - returned to action at Kingsbarns today.

Colin Montgomerie made a good start today as he tried to put the drama of the Ryder Cup behind him and arrest his own golfing slump at Kingsbarns.

Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood have joined the call for a new date to be found for the Ryder Cup.

Having dropped from 135th to 425th in the world during his term as Ryder Cup captain, it should come as no surprise that Colin Montgomerie does not want to do the job again.

TRIPLE Ryder Cup-winner Paul McGinley has strongly hinted for the first time his interest in being a European Ryder Cup vice-captain later this year at Celtic Manor.

Five years after beating Tiger Woods down the stretch to become US Open champion New Zealand’s Michael Campbell finds himself in a very different battle in Scotland tomorrow.

LUKE DONALD gave himself the chance to end three and a half years without a win by matching the lowest round of his European Tour career in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

Luke Donald gave himself the chance to end three and a half years without a win by matching the lowest round of his European Tour career in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship today.

Rory McIlroy continued his bid to go top of the European Tour money list with a 69 at Kingsbarns today.

THOMAS BJORN did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland yesterday. Bjorn, non-playing captain of the Continental Europe team hammered by Britain and Ireland, began the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with an eight-under-par 64 at Kingsbarns.

Thomas Bjorn did not have much to smile about in France last week, but what a difference it was in Scotland today.

IT IS a good job Lee Westwood has changed his mind about St Andrews — the course he described 10 years ago as “not in the top 200 in Fife”.

Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has his sights on a notable double - World Cup glory for Ireland in November and Olympic gold for Great Britain in 2016.

From next year final qualifying for the Open will be staged a week earlier and will be 36 holes in one day rather than spread over two.

Teenager Rory McIlroy will take inspiration from double Open champion Padraig Harrington as he attempts to win his first European Tour title in the Dunhill Links Championship.

The battle to win the Order of Merit looks set for a thrilling climax with Ryder Cup team-mates Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson all in contention at the Dunhill Links Championship.

Padraig Harrington on Thursday produced a brilliant finish to rescue his hopes of a third Dunhill Links Championship, and with it almost certainly a second Order of Merit title.

Padraig Harrington’s hopes of a third Dunhill Links Championship victory, which would almost certainly secure the Order of Merit too, suffered an early blow today.

Padraig Harrington has admitted he is still struggling to come to terms with his astonishing recent success.

IRISH stars Jonathan Caldwell and Shane Lowry played a key role in helping Great Britain and Ireland establish a comfortable first-day advantage against the Continent of Europe in the St Andrews Trophy match at Kingsbarns yesterday.

Nick Dougherty surged into a three-shot lead in the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links championship today.

Henrik Stenson was making a move on the leaders during the early stages of his third round in the £2.5m (€3.6m) Alfred Dunhill Links championship.