Christy O’Connor didn’t subscribe to the view that his enormous success on the golf course was attributable to a natural God-given talent for the game.

Rory McIlroy may have enhanced his chances of completing the career grand slam by opting out of the par-three contest, but the world No 3 still faces a tough task to end Europe’s surprising Masters drought.

Rory McIlroy has cut down on the distractions as he attempts to complete the career grand slam at Augusta this week.

Ireland’s Walker Cup heroes will not be wasting time resting on their laurels after Great Britain and Ireland’s emphatic victory over the United States at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Gavin Moynihan believes home advantage will be “huge” as Great Britain and Ireland seek to regain the Walker Cup at Royal Lytham this weekend.

Given the summer he’s had, this seems like a quiet week for Paul Dunne.

Ireland’s best amateurs went their separate ways this week but whether the US Amateur or the Home Internationals are their next port of call, they departed in buoyant mood following an excellent collective showing at the European Individual Amateur in Slovakia last week.

Former Scotland football captain Colin Hendry has admitted harassing hisex-girlfriend over a two-month period.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne has stayed true to his instincts and confirmed he will remain an amateur until after the Walker Cup this September.

Cormac Sharvin will go into this week’s Irish Amateur Open Championship full of confidence after claiming a top-five finish at the prestigious Lytham Trophy over the weekend.

Open Championship leader Rory McIlroy will take to the Royal Liverpool links later looking to avoid the dreaded second-round syndrome which has dogged him all year.

The eyes of the golfing world, not to mention a dedicated TV channel, will be on Tiger Woods in the opening round of the 143rd Open Championship on Thursday.

Graeme McDowell has set his sights on a Claret Jug this week as he goes in search of a second Major championship title that will end all talk of him being a "one-hit wonder".

Graeme McDowell achieved a career first and heads into next week’s British Open in the best possible frame of mind after virtually being handed a successful defence of his French Open title in Versailles.

Dermot McElroy is determined to break his championship duck when the Irish Amateur Open gets under way at The Royal Dublin today.

Rory McIlroy believes almost three-quarters of the 97-strong field can win the US Masters, while Justin Rose neatly summed up an unpredictable season so far.

Graeme McDowell’s Major fortunes have gone from bittersweet to bitter over the last two seasons, but the Portrush man will approach the last shot at glory this year happy that his dark horse status could bring a simply sweet conclusion.

Dining out on one Major win for 60 years didn’t stop Irish golfers or Irish golf writers from attending the British Open and a host of other Majors from Fred Daly’s win in 1947 until the great messiah — Pádraig Harrington — performed his first miracle at Carnoustie in 2007.

The emotion of the moment was all too clear in his face as Phil Mickelson sank the winning birdie putt, bowed his head, clenched his fists and raised his hands above his head to acknowledge the acclaim he just become Open champion.

Already the oldest winner in European Tour history, Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez now has the chance to become the oldest major champion as well in the 142nd Open Championship.

The Open Championship may lack a prominent Irish contender, but there are a host of significant others at the top of the leaderboard heading into a testing second day at sun-baked Muirfield to suggest class will out yet again at this venerable links.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson today began the 142nd Open Championship in the same imperious style as he did the 141st, but there was no let up in the misery for world number two Rory McIlroy.

Adam Scott learned to get tough to win a Major, Justin Rose’s perseverance earned him a US Open title and for Pádraig Harrington, it was understanding that nothing mattered except for the last nine holes on a Sunday.

Ernie Els believes he can add more major titles to his collection - before retiring to sell hotdogs on a beach in South Africa.

Ernie Els had to endure a 10-year wait to claim his fourth major title, but the South African is quietly confident of winning a fifth just 11 months after his Open triumph in this week’s US Open.

Less than a year after wishing anchored putters would swiftly be banned, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington has said he intends to use one in the Wells Fargo Championship which starts today.

Adam Scott plans to celebrate with Australian great Greg Norman after breaking his major duck, and that of his nation in the Masters, with a dramatic victory in near-darkness at Augusta.

Rory McIlroy was today trying again to figure out the right plan of attack for Augusta National, albeit after starting the final round of the Masters far too early for his liking.

Luke Donald hopes to end his golfing year with a bang this week – but has also given the European Tour something to think about.

With the top two spots on the leaderboard held by a South African and an Australian, the British Open provided considerable food for thought for the rival Ryder Cup captains Davis Love III and Jose-Maria Olazabal.

Bloodied but unbowed from his British Open experience, Rory McIlroy will bid to restore some confidence in his swing ahead of the final Major of the year.

Ten years on from his last major victory Ernie Els became Open champion again tonight – and could hardly believe it.

South Africa’s Ernie Els today claimed the second Open title of his career in remarkable fashion after Adam Scott squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play.

Tiger Woods was today battling to remain in contention for the Open Championship during a dramatic final round at Royal Lytham.

Rory McIlroy is refusing to press any panic buttons after the worst Open Championship finish of his young career.

Overnight leader Adam Scott today endured a shaky start to the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham.

A week which started with high hopes was ending on a low note for Rory McIlroy in the final round of the Open Championship at Royal Lytham today.

Australian Adam Scott leads the pack on day three of the 2012 Open Championship by four strokes.

The Open challenge Tiger Woods ignited late yesterday was in danger of fizzling out today as the 14-time major champion made a poor start to his third round at Royal Lytham.

Tiger Woods holed out from a greenside bunker at the 18th hole last night to change the entire complexion of this Open Championship heading into the weekend’s decisive rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

He may be the world No 29 and three-time PGA Tour winner but the last time the public outside of the golfing bubble got a good look at Brandt Snedeker they will have seen an American kid getting all choked up about losing the Masters.

Darren Clarke’s Open Championship title defence was brought to a premature end last night after the Irishman failed to make the halfway cut at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

As Rory McIlroy and Pádraig Harrington, like so many others around them, faded out of contention for the Open Championship yesterday, I was left wondering how they would interpret their day.