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.

Irish team captain Tony Goode has backed late call-ups Robin Dawson and Rowan Lester to make the most of the opportunities handed to them by the withdrawals of Paul Dunne and Gary Hurley from next week’s Home International defence at Royal Portrush.

Naas amateur Jack Hume might have missed the cut in his first professional event but he’s gained confidence for a crucial summer run that could earn him a Walker Cup call up.

Tiger Woods expects to face a confident Rory McIlroy when he bids to edge closer to Jack Nicklaus’s record and challenge for a fourth US Open and 15th Major title at the Olympic Club this week.

IT IS not a given that being one ofthe world’s best golfers at a US Open championship is enough to earn a golfer the undying love of the American golfing public.

IT will take Tiger Woods another four weeks at least before he can renew his bid for a 15th major championship and so narrow the gap on Jack Nicklaus at the top of the honours list to three.

Ricky Barnes took a one-shot lead into the final round of the US Open but it could have been so much better for the American at Bethpage Black.

Ricky Barnes further staked his claim to a US Open victory as the third round finally resumed today with the major heading for a first Monday finish since 1983.

WORLD number three Paul Casey will go into this week’s US Open at Bethpage Black aiming to break a 39-year English drought in America’s national championship.

Two months after winning his first major at the Masters – after 13 years of trying and 17 top-10 finishes – Phil Mickelson topped the leaderboard in the United States Open today.

ONE is currently seventh in the rankings, the other 14th, but right now there seems to be a whole world separating Ireland's two challengers in the US Open Championship starting at Shinnecock Hills this morning.

THE unthinkable happened here yesterday when Tiger Woods was jostled

TOURNAMENT favourite Pádraig Harrington scored here yesterday before a ball was struck in anger in the Smurfit European Open Championship.

DAVID DUVAL has withdrawn from next month’s Smurfit European Open at The K Club.

IT may not have been one of the most memorable US Opens but it had many marvellous moments for all that.

IT isn’t always easy to feel sorry for a man who has made many millions of pounds from his sporting exploits at the age of 34 and is guaranteed to live in luxury for the rest of his life.

US OPEN runner-up Stephen Leaney consoled himself with positive thoughts after losing out to Jim Furyk on Sunday.

Jim Furyk described his US Open victory – his first major – as “beyond my dreams”.

Tiger Woods’ grip on his one remaining major is hanging by a thread after a day he will want to forget at Olympia Fields near Chicago.

Whatever relief Colin Montgomerie felt about surviving a halfway cut again did not have a positive effect on his game in the third round of the United States Open today.

“FAST cars and big cigars,” roared the delighted fans, as Darren Clarke unleashed an enormous drive down the middle of the 18th fairway in yesterday’s second round of the US Open at Olympia Fields.

American Jim Furyk put himself into the history books today – as Tom Watson kept alive his hopes of doing the same on Sunday.

American Jim Furyk broke the 36-hole scoring record at the US Open today – but for many people 53-year-old Tom Watson remained the story of the week.

After his first sub-70 round in America this year Colin Montgomerie has praised the work of the two men he relies on most.

FOR 14 holes at Olympia Fields yesterday, Pádraig Harrington looked every bit the potential US Open champion.

IT’S all in the perception, really.

England's Brian Davis came back down to earth with a bang today after producing the fastest start in United States Open history.

Colin Montgomerie shook off the misery of recent weeks – of virtually the whole season, in fact – to take a share of the early first-round lead at the US Open today.

Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie took a share of the early lead while defending champion Tiger Woods lagged behind at the United States Open today.

Ernie Els matched Tiger Woods shot for shot at the start of the United States Open today – but not by the same route.

Latest leading positions in the first round of the United States Open Golf Championship at Olympia Fields, Chicago, Illinois.

US Open officials have hit back at Padraig Harrington’s statement that the winner at Olympia Fields on Sunday will be the most boring man in the field.

CHICAGO is my kinda town, go the words of the great song, and a group of Europeans are determined they will be singing them in celebration of victory in the 103rd US Open here in the Windy City on Sunday night.

THEY still remember him in Chicago. In truth, I suspect they’ll never forget him.

Golf coaching supremo Butch Harmon believes Padraig Harrington is one of the few players who could seriously challenge Tiger Woods' claim to the US Open crown.

TIGER WOODS last night came out on the side of Padraig Harrington’s viewpoint, that winning the US Open Championship very often involves playing a lot of boring golf.

Tony Jacklin, the last European winner of the US Open, believes Colin Montgomerie can lift himself out of his current slump to be a contender for the title this week.

DARREN CLARKE is the US Tour’s best driver of a golf ball this year. That is a fact, not an opinion.

Padraig Harrington closed to within one stroke of the lead with a superb start to the delayed final round at the US Tour’s Capital Open in Maryland today.

Tiger Woods and Ernie Els – and the thousands of golf fans who want to watch every blow – will have to be up early for their first round clash in the US Open next Thursday.

Colin Montgomerie today came closer than ever before to writing off his chances of winning the US Open.