It is very hard to accurately describe what we witnessed yesterday from Pádraig Harrington and Paul Dunne in St Andrews.

Pádraig Harrington will aim to crank up the aggression as he attacks today’s second round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open after putting himself in position for his first European Tour win since the 2008 Open Championship.

Pádraig Harrington is a man used to dealing with absolutes in the numbers game that is professional golf.

Pádraig Harrington is targeting a top-three finish in the Irish Open after a final hole bogey scuppered his chances of qualifying for the US Open via yesterday’s 36-hole Sectional Qualifier at Walton Heath.

Shane Lowry secured his place in next month’s US Open with another superb display at the BMW PGA Championship.

Pádraig Harrington insisted he will be fit to play in next week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Royal County Down as he chases qualification for next month’s US Open, despite withdrawing injured at Wentworth yesterday.

Pádraig Harrington was optimistic he would be fit enough to play in today’s opening round of the BMW PGA Championship and insisted a shoulder injury would not prevent him teeing up at next week’s Irish Open.

Tiger Woods suffered a nightmare on his comeback to golf as he trailed in last in the first round of the Hero World Challenge.

Greystones’ Paul Dunne survived the shock of nearly missing his tee time and went on to become the first Irish amateur to come through Final Qualifying for the British Open for 27 years.

In-form Shane Lowry returns to the US Open arena this week, no longer just happy to be there as he was on his debut three years ago but confident that he can compete in a major championship.

When the US Open returns to Pinehurst next week, a few crucial elements will be missing from the last time it was staged there, back in 2005.

Paul Dunne is keeping his fingers crossed the billiard table Baltray greens can inspire a resurrection in his putting when he begins his defence of the East of Ireland Amateur Open title at County Louth today.

Shane Lowry believes he has rediscovered the mindset which allows him to play at his best after an impressive couple of weeks.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry believes he has rediscovered the mindset which allows him to play at his best after an impressive couple of weeks.

Professional golfers quite rightly dedicate plenty of time to practice in the lead up to majors but as the US Open approaches they would be advised to have a quick refresh of the local rules.

A day after finishing runner-up at Wentworth to his good friend Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry celebrated topping the list of US Open qualifiers on a cold, wet and miserable day at Walton Heath.

Shane Lowry collected the biggest prize in his career thanks to a monster putt at the final hole but though the grin was huge and the ovation even bigger, there was one vital missing ingredient – a victory.

Padraig Harrington will today attempt to come through just the second qualifier of his career as he bids to book his ticket for next month’s US Open via a 36-hole international qualifier at Walton Heath.

Pádraig Harrington was aboard the first stagecoach out of town after missing the halfway cut in the Wells Fargo Championship in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pádraig Harrington will again venture into new and unwanted territory when he enters a 36-hole US Open qualifier later next month at Walton Heath in Surrey.

Dermot McElroy hopes to celebrate his call-up to the St Andrews Trophy squad by challenging for his first amateur major when the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open gets under way at Rosses Point today.

Pádraig Harrington insists he would crawl out of his “death bed” rather than miss the Irish Open from June 19-22.

Paul Casey today claimed the 12th European Tour title of his career in dramatic fashion after overturning a four-shot deficit in the final round of the Irish Open.

Rory McIlroy admitted to feeling “a little lost” as he struggled to a first round of 74 in the Irish Open that left him eight shots off the lead and battling to make the cut.

The halfway cut fell at eight over par, but Ian Poulter was still predicting a “fun weekend” as the weather-delayed US Open looked to get back on track at Merion today.

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

Shane Lowry heads to today’s 36-hole US Open qualifier bitterly disappointed not to have automatically qualified for next month’s championship at Merion.

There is a billboard on either side of the Wentworth Estate entrance gates with a photograph of last year’s victorious European Ryder Cup team and the caption — ‘Luke who’s back’.

Graeme McDowell’s historic Volvo World Match-Play Championship success has led to suggestions he could have been warned for slow play during Sunday’s final at Thracian Cliffs in Bulgaria.

Phil Mickelson needed a special round on his 42nd birthday to have any chance of being a contender at the US Open in San Francisco – but it did not begin as he hoped.

Lee Slattery followed one great performance with another at Celtic Manor today.

Scotland’s Marc Warren has won a World Cup with Colin Montgomerie, two European Tour titles and over £2m, but remarkably has never played in a major.

David Higgins matched the best finish by a modern PGA regional professional at the BMW PGA Championship and credited new-found mental strength for his return to the big time.

Luke Donald reclaimed the world number one ranking from Rory McIlroy by successfully defending his BMW PGA Championship title at Wentworth as Ireland’s Peter Lawrie landed his second biggest payday in golf.

A total of 9,006 golfers, just 80 short of the record, have entered this year’s US Open, the event at which Rory McIlroy last year became the youngest champion since amateur Bobby Jones in 1923.

TIPPERARY’S Arthur Pierse came agonisingly close yesterday to claiming his second British Seniors Open title. The former Walker Cup player was pipped by a stroke at Royal Portrush as he attempted to add to his triumph of 2007.

FOR a game so reliant on the power of positive thinking, Irish Open memories do not come much better than Shane Lowry’s.

SWEDEN’S Alexander Noren cruised to his third European Tour title despite a closing round of 77 in Stockholm yesterday.

SWEDE Alexander Noren produced the joint-best round of the Nordea Masters so far to take the outright lead at Bro Hof Slott Golf Club in Stockholm.

THE companies that declined title sponsorship of the Irish Open must be kicking themselves given the hype and build up to next month’s tournament in Killarney.

Back in major action for the first time since his Masters meltdown, Rory McIlroy needed only nine holes today to lead the US Open at Congressional.

England’s Robert Rock is seemingly all set to make his US Open debut tomorrow - albeit without time for a practice round at Congressional after encountering American visa problems.

SHANE LOWRY got his first look at a US Open course set-up at Congressional County Club yesterday having admitted he was taking a leap into the unknown.

Graeme McDowell turned on the style at Celtic Manor yet again today, starting the Saab Wales Open with a four-under-par 67.