G-Mac seeks new horizons

Irish golfer Graeme McDowell last night toasted the "happiest moment of my life" as he welcomed his first child into the world, a life-changing moment that followed hot on the heels of a career-changing one.

McDowell, 35, used his Twitter account yesterday to announce his wife Kristin had given birth to a daughter in Florida. He will skip this week’s PGA Tour FedEx Cup play-off event, the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston, to remain with his family.

Just 24 hours earlier, the Portrush golfer had used the same social media site to announce he was splitting with Horizon Sports Management at the end of the year to manage his own commercial interests. The parting of the ways between McDowell and the company led by Conor Ridge that he joined in 2007 is a significant move for the 2010 US Open champion, who credited Horizon with helping him achieve his career ambitions on and off the golf course.