Rory McIlroy staged a stirring Open Championship fightback at Royal Birkdale that will send him into today’s second round feeling he can get right among the leaders.

Open champion Henrik Stenson admits it was a bittersweet moment when he returned the Claret Jug yesterday, but is eagerly looking forward to the next chapter in his career.

Downing Street has said it is not aware of any plans for US president Donald Trump to visit the UK in the next few weeks.

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers insists the organisation should "stay out of politics" after revealing its relationship with Turnberry owner Donald Trump has not changed since he became US President.

England’s Paul Broadhurst overcame a four-shot deficit on the final day to clinch the Senior Open title at Carnoustie.

Henrik Stenson believed his turn had arrived to become golf’s latest major champion and with it end the question of when Sweden would finally win one of the sport’s greatest prizes.

‘Duel in the Sun’ is still The Open’s greatest day, writes Kevin Markham.

It is a ritual understood by many like-minded individuals who harbour an inner passion for golf and thus indulge in pilgrimages to the great links of Scotland, Ireland, and England.

Ireland’s Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell are within striking distance at the halfway stage of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

Shock qualifier Colin Montgomerie knows the Open at Royal Troon could represent his last realistic chance of contending for a major.

Muslim leaders in Scotland have invited Donald Trump to visit mosques there when he travels to the country to open his new golf course later this month.

South Korea’s Inbee Park hailed the greatest day of her life after claiming a seventh major title with a brilliant final round in the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Turnberry.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen set a testing clubhouse target and looked set to lead overnight in the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Turnberry.

If Arnold Palmer romanticised the American pilgrimage to the Open Championship and Jack Nicklaus cemented its competitive importance, Tom Watson humanised it.

Pádraig Harrington was not getting carried away by his best round at The Open in seven years but is hoping the weather does cause “havoc” as the two-time champion bids to close the gap on the leaders at St Andrews this afternoon.

Five-time Open champion Tom Watson will say goodbye to the game’s oldest major this week but it was the Ryder Cup row with Phil Mickelson rather than his legacy that rang out at St Andrews yesterday.

He has twice lifted the Claret Jug, made a reservation for a place in golf’s Hall of Fame and etched his success into the collective memory of Irish sports fans.

When Pádraig Harrington was preparing to chase his third Open victory in a row at Turnberry and his fourth major in the space of two years, he reflected on what it meant to be great, or special, writes Brian Keogh.

2007

US tycoon Donald Trump has spoken of his pleasure at acquiring the Turnberry golf resort, which he has pledged to make “even more spectacular”.

The sense of excitement at Shannon Airport early yesterday was palpable long before Donald Trump’s Boeing 757 descended through the dark rain clouds cloaking Clare.

US tycoon Donald Trump has said he will invest up to €45m in the renowned, storm-ravaged golf course he has bought in Co Clare.

US tycoon Donald Trump has said he will invest up to €45m in the Doonbeg links golf course he bought in the west of Ireland.

Tycoon Donald Trump has struck a deal to carry out work on a protected dune system running alongside his luxury golf resort in Co Clare.

Donald Trump has struck a deal to take over one of the best-known golf resorts in Scotland.

Rory McIlroy has declared he wants to recreate golf’s infamous duel in the sun, with Tiger Woods in Dubai.

As Paul McGinley predicted, when he met Darren Clarke, his one-time Ryder Cup team-mate turned captaincy rival on the first tee at Oak Hill yesterday, it was smiles as they shook hands.

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

Paul McGinley has received an invitation to contest this year’s PGA Championship where fellow Irishman Rory McIlroy will defend the Rodman Wanamaker Trophy.

Darren Clarke was right after all — England’s s Chris Wood does have what it takes to be a European Tour winner.

England’s Chris Wood sank a 12-foot eagle putt on the final hole to grab his first European Tour title in brilliant fashion today.

Des Smyth wants to win in his swinging 60s after losing his oldest winner’s record to Miguel Angel Jiménez.

A three-under-par 67 earned Fred Couples a two-shot victory at the British Senior Open Championship at Turnberry.

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.

Graeme McDowell believes the “minimal” shortcomings of Royal Portrush can be overcome in order for the course to stage the Open Championship.

The gauntlet has been thrown down to the 156 golfers whose ambition today is to become British Open champion at Royal Lytham & St Annes on Sunday evening — play it straight or you are in trouble.

Royal Portrush’s hopes of staging an Open Championship in the near future have received a massive setback in the wake of comments by R&A chief executive Peter Dawson yesterday.

Luke Donald needs accuracy and bottle if he is to end his wait for a major at Royal Lytham this week – and he showed he had both when he was just three years old.

Second-ranked Rory McIlroy is with 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen and reigning USPGA champion Keegan Bradley at the Open Championship.

Jeev Milkha Singh is back in The Open three years after pulling out injured two days before the start at Turnberry, unsure he would ever return.

When the world rankings came out this week 19-year-old Italian Matteo Manassero found himself third reserve for the Open Championship.

Tiger Woods has not had back-to-back top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour since the start of 2010, but that is the least that will be expected of him at this week’s Greenbrier Classic.

Disappointment has been expressed at the announcement that the 2016 British Open is going to Troon, passing over the claims of Royal Portrush.