When Phil Mickelson crashed to a closing 78 in Akron on Sunday the suspicion grew that trying to replace Tiger Woods as world number one was taking its toll.

Tiger Woods now says he will play in the Ryder Cup if American captain Corey Pavin offers him a wild card.

The final shoot-out for places in Europe’s Ryder Cup team does not look like having the cast list that captain Colin Montgomerie anticipated.

World number two Phil Mickelson believes he will eventually overtake Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings despite missing the opportunity at the weekend.

Tiger Woods is scheduled to meet Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin at the US PGA Championship this week with his golf game now appearing to resemble what has happened to his private life this past year – a total shambles.

Sergio Garcia is down to 50th in the world and is in an even more precarious Ryder Cup position than Tiger Woods.

The dust had barely settled on another sublime Croke Park display by All-Ireland five in-a-row hopefuls Kilkenny, when their manager Brian Cody cast his focus ahead to next weekend's semi-final between Tipperary and Waterford.

Struggling Tiger Woods will seek to bounce back from his worst tournament finish as a professional at the US PGA Championship this week and resurrect his Ryder Cup chances.

A split looks to be quickly brewing in southern hemisphere rugby after South Africa conceded it was exploring the possibility of breaking away from SANZAR.

Rory McIlroy headed off on holiday today reflecting on another major that got away.

Tiger Woods needs a Ryder Cup wild card after coming only 28th in the USPGA Championship – and so do 2008 star Anthony Kim and last year’s US Open champion Lucas Glover after being bumped out of a top eight spot in the final event.

German Martin Kaymer sealed a Ryder Cup debut in the grandest manner possible on Sunday night – by winning the final major of the season after a three-hole play-off with left-hander Bubba Watson.

German Martin Kaymer and American Bubba Watson went into a three-hole play-off for the USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits on Sunday night after Watson’s compatriot Dustin Johnson dramatically suffered a two-stroke penalty on the final hole.

Just when it seemed everything – the woeful form of Tiger Woods included – was pointing to Europe winning back the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in October, nobody can be quite so sure any more.

On the day he was expected to clinch a Ryder Cup debut, American Jeff Overton raced round Whistling Straits in an unofficial record of 129 minutes today - thanks to Ian Poulter being unwell.

Nottingham Forest 1 Leeds 1

Ian Poulter today withdrew from the USPGA Championship at Whistling Straits ahead of the final round.

Rory McIlroy was closer than ever to a first major title and had no reason to worry about Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson as the USPGA Championship finally made up for lost time on Saturday.

The second round of the United States PGA Championship was spared a third fog delay and was able to resume on time at 7am at Whistling Straits today.

England’s Simon Khan, winner of one PGA Championship already this season, was the joint leader in another far, far bigger one in Wisconsin last night - until he bogeyed the last three holes of his second round at the USPGA Championship.