IT WAS meant to be a fun bank holiday weekend away but it all went horribly wrong in bad weather on the Wicklow Mountains.

US Masters champion Zach Johnson beat Japan’s Ryuji Imada in a sudden-death play-off to claim victory in the AT&T Classic at Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia.

Kevin Sutherland fired a seven-under-par 65 to head the field after the opening round of the AT&T Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia.

Even though he has won two of the last three Masters Phil Mickelson admits he is “a little nervous” about the start of his title defence at Augusta tomorrow.

PHIL MICKELSON’S face broke into a broad smile when he saw the draw for Sunday’s final round of the Masters.

Phil Mickelson coasted to one of the biggest wins in US Tour history at the BellSouth Classic – and very much did it his own way.

A measure of how well Phil Mickelson had played in the first two rounds of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta came today from Swede Richard Johnson.

Phil Mickelson was in a league of his own in Atlanta as he produced the lowest 36-hole score of his 15-year US Tour career.

Phil Mickelson may have failed to hang on to two of his titles so far this season, but he made a sparkling start to his defence of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta yesterday.

Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald began the final warm-up event for the Masters in impressive style today.

Torrential rain delayed the start of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta today - the eighth US Tour event out of 14 this season to be affected by the weather.

SIX of the record 21 Europeans in next week’s Masters tee off in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta today.

Six of the record 21 Europeans competing in next week’s Masters tee off in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta tomorrow.

Padraig Harrington has reasons to be cheerful as he turns his thoughts to the Masters starting on Thursday but that will change if he starts the first round in Augusta the same way he started the final round of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta yesterday.

A FLASHBACK to last year has kept Pádraig Harrington's feet firmly on the ground with Augusta only a week away.

A flashback to last year has kept Padraig Harrington’s feet firmly on the ground with Augusta only a week away.

A second group of residents forced to flee their houses by Southern California’s wildfires were being allowed to return home today.

LITTLE-KNOWN American Ben Crane claimed his first US Tour title in style yesterday with victory in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta.

With swirling winds making an already challenging course more difficult, Bob Tway and Lee Janzen grabbed a one-stroke lead over defending champion Retief Goosen midway through the BellSouth Classic.

Little-known Englishman John Morgan wrecked his chance to share the lead after the first round of the BellSouth Classic when he double-bogeyed his last hole, the ninth.

The odds on South African Retief Goosen winning his second major title at this week’s Masters have come tumbling down after his four-stroke victory in the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta yesterday.

Steve Elkington birdied the final three holes and carded an eight-under-par 64 to take a one-shot lead over Phil Mickelson after the first round of the BellSouth Classic in Georgia.

Ernie Els had his second worst score in nearly 450 rounds on the US Tour today as American Scott McCarron won the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta.