A golf fan got closer than he wanted to the action in the States yesterday.

Rory McIlroy shot his first par round with his Nike clubs as Graeme McDowell turned a green light into a rip-roaring start in the Honda Classic.

Two bids are being considered for golfer Rory McIlroy’s €2.44m luxury house outside Belfast.

As if there’s not enough heartache for fans of American professional golf, given yet another deflating Ryder Cup performance by their heroes, here’s a sobering thought to make them even sicker: Had Mark James done a more thoughtful job with his singles lineup in 1999 and had Luke Donald not been sidelined in 2008 and captain Nick Faldo been more in tune with things, we very likely could be at nine straight European wins in the biennial competition.

Maria Sharapova beat Caroline Wozniacki but lost the one point she played against Rory McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy’s relentlessmission to become thenumber one golfer in the world continues this week at the Honda Classic at PGA National, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

COLOMBIAN Camilo Villegas landed the Honda Classic title at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, after holding off a European challenge led by Justin Rose.

JUSTIN ROSE is determined to prove his Ryder Cup credentials but believes the less he thinks about it the better his chances will be of making Colin Montgomerie’s team.

Anthony Kim powered to the top of the leaderboard at the Honda Classic on a good day for low scoring at Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Padraig Harrington admits any player with aspirations of winning the 2010 Honda Classic at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, will have to conquer a “big tough golf course”.

Four birdies in the first 10 holes of his second round helped Jeff Overton into a share of the lead at the Honda Classic today with Rory McIlroy handily poised heading into the weekend.

Brian Davis claimed a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – but it could have been much better for the Londoner.

A kitten that crawled into her owner’s suitcase, got loaded on a plane, went 1,300 miles in the hold and was then taken home by the wrong person in a baggage mix-up was safely home again today.

Gil Morgan fired a five-under-par 66 to lead by a shot rom Peter Jacobsen after the opening round of the Senior PGA Championship, the first Major of the year on the Champions Tour.

Swede Mathias Gronberg, called in when Nick Faldo withdrew because of an illness in his family, shared the early first-round lead in the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

SUNDAY was one hell of a day for the left-handed brigade.