Sport Golf

Golf

Rory McIlroy in contention with Walker on two-shot lead at Akron 

Jimmy Walker fired a second round 65 to move to the top of the leaderboard in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron.

Who is Rory McIlroy's new caddie Harry Diamond? 

Former Irish amateur international Harry Diamond will be on Rory McIlroy's bag, it's believed, for the fourth major of the year.

Leona in open field 

Leona Maguire, the world number one amateur, and her Curtis Cup team-mate Olivia Mehaffey join South Korea's Eun Jeong Seong and Attaya Thitikul (Thailand) as the amateurs in the Ricoh Women's British Open at Kingsbarns, starting tomorrow.

Comment: Time for Rory to look in the mirror after split with caddie JP 

Golf's lush, meticulously-manicured pastures must feel for all the world like a heaving, unnavigable and lonely jungle to Rory McIlroy right now.

Son of former Irish golfer David Feherty dies following an overdose 

The son of David Feherty, the Northern Ireland golfer turned US commentary star, has died from an overdose.

McIlroy takes a huge risk in bid to earn rewards 

Rory McIlroy has taken one of the biggest risks of his career by parting company with caddie JP Fitzgerald ahead of two top tournaments that can define his season.

Fitzgerald has €7m reasons to console himself as long journey comes to end 

Rory McIlroy has employed only two caddies in his professional career - Gordon Faulkner and JP Fitzgerald.

Comment - Reaction to Rory McIlroy ditching JP Fitzgerald highlights how the role of caddy has evolved 

Caddies have come a long way since Old Tom Morris, the Godfather of professional golf, issued the decree at St Andrews that they should...

Time for Rory to look in the mirror after split with JP 

Golf's lush, meticulously-manicured pastures must feel for all the world like a heaving, unnavigable and lonely jungle to Rory McIlroy right now.

History shows golfers and caddies not a match for life 

while often compared to a husband and wife relationship, the golfer and the caddie were never destined to be a match made in heaven or to last for the duration of a career.

The four 'favourites' being tipped to be the new man on Rory's bag 

In the wake of yesterday's shock announcement of the parting of the ways between Rory McIlroy and JP Fitzgerald, there has been no shortage of speculation as to who might be the new man on...

Rory McIlroy has axed caddie JP Fitzgerald after nine years and four major titles - report 

Rory McIlroy has sacked his long-time caddie J.P. Fitzgerald, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, ending a partnership that...

Who is JP Fitzgerald? The man who helped Rory McIlroy go from 200 in the world to major champion 

The most successful partnership in the history of Irish golf appears to be coming to an end.

Power's on in Ontario 

Waterford's Seamus Power shot a superb final round of 66 at the Canadian Open last night to claim an impressive tied-tenth placing overall - his first top 10 finish on the PGA Tour.

Wake-up call gives Sugrue the platform to grab glory 

Mallow's James Sugrue took advantage of not one but two wake-up calls to stride to an emphatic victory in the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at a wet and windy Lahinch.

Langer claims tenth senior major to break Player's record 

As senior moments go, this was historic. Bernhard Langer removed any doubt whatsoever from the debate as to who is the greatest member of the over-50s division, when winning at Royal...

Dermot Gilleece: Rory McIlroy must harness inner strength 

Vivid images endure of an athletic young man eagerly climbing up and down a particularly daunting dune at Royal Birkdale last Sunday, knowing that his prospect of winning the 146th...

History made as Bernhard Langer wins the Senior Open Championship at Royal Porthcawl 

Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer won a record 10th senior major title on Sunday as he cruised to victory at the Senior Open Championship.

Smyth sneaks through on 'brutal' day for senior stars 

Des Smyth and Mark McNulty sneaked inside the cut at the Senior Open Championship at a rain-lashed Royal Porthcawl last night, but Paul McGinley was among five Irishmen departing early.

Luck shines on Whelan as host of 'South' favourites fall 

Newlands' Jake Whelan dodged two bullets to make the last 16 on a day of the long knives for a host of favourites in the South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

Monty rekindles Ryder days with former US foe 

Colin Montgomerie has enjoyed some of the happiest times of his life on wet days in Wales, particularly when in the company of Corey Pavin. So perhaps it was no surprise to find the Scot beaming after...

Lester lays down 'South' gauntlet with stunning eagle 

Hermitage's Rowan Lester chipped in for eagle at the 18th to lead the qualifiers and mark himself out as the man to beat in the weather-lashed South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Irish amateur McBride excels at Porsche Open 

England's Richard McEvoy tamed a monster course to keep his game in top gear by claiming a share of the lead on day one of the Porsche European Open.

Mehaffey makes move 

Royal County Downs star Olivia Mehaffey remains in contention at the European Ladies' Amateur Championship at Lausanne, Switzerland - but must up her game to challenge for the title.

Kuchar seeks relief in Canada after 'crushing' Open finale 

Matt Kuchar will attempt to bounce back from his Open heartache by claiming his first PGA Tour title since 2014 in the RBC Canadian Open.

Lester excels in hellish wind as Clarke Jnr makes his bow 

Hermitage's Rowan Lester defied vicious rain squalls and winds gusting up to 40mph to card an incredible level-par 72 and take a two-stroke lead after the first qualifying round for the South of...

Bernhard Langer: It is an insult to accuse me of cheating 

Bernhard Langer has hit back against the critics who have accused him of “cheating” with his use of the long putter and said that it is has marred what he calls “the best season of my career”.

Numbers don’t lie as McIlroy again leaves himself too much of an uphill battle 

By any reasonable judgment, seven top-20 finishes in 10 Major championships is a good return, particularly when, within that, three of them...

Strong field to battle for Irish spots and Open title at Lahinch 

Matchplay is the Russian Roulette of golf and former champion John Greene reckons several internationals "have a gun to their head" as they bid to keep their places on the Irish team after...

'Spieth had drought because he was too nice' - Harrington 

Pádraig Harrington, the last man to complete a Royal Birkdale Open Championship/US PGA double in one season, highlighted the pressure that newly-crowned Claret Jug winner Jordan Spieth will...

Spieth cool amid chaos to triumph at Birkdale 

Jordan Spieth, the baby-faced assassin of Birkdale, sprayed his golf ball like bullets all over the property on a bizarre Sunday showdown, but never wavered from his mission to take the Claret Jug...

Johnson's major 'beef' with radio criticism 

An angry Andrew Johnston insists he was right to answer criticism of him on social media ahead of his final round at the Open. The burly, bearded 28-year-old came home on Saturday to discover a...

McIlroy regrets missed opportunity but feeling good ahead of US PGA 

Rory McIlroy had to grit his teeth and accept that the 146th Open Championship represented "a lost opportunity" to claim his fifth Major. "It's a lost opportunity. I said that yesterday. I felt like I...

Former Masters champion Willett laments 's***e' form 

A Yorkshire man to a tee, Danny Willett was not prepared to sugar-coat the dubious honour of teeing off first in the final round of the 146th Open Championship yesterday.

Jordan Spieth avoids potential meltdown to win The Open at Royal Birkdale 

Jordan Spieth turned a potential major meltdown into one of the most extraordinary victories in Open Championship history at Royal Birkdale.

'Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps are the greatest to ever do what they did, and I'm not' - Jordan Spieth 

Jordan Spieth celebrated a "dream come true" following his remarkable Open victory at Royal Birkdale.

Charming piece of championship lore a reminder of gentler times 

For some time, it had seemed that one of the most charming stories from Open Championships at Royal Birkdale could reach an appropriate conclusion this weekend. In the absence of any developments...

Spieth surges towards Open title as McIlroy struggles 

A sustained resurgence from Rory McIlroy failed to materialise in the third round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale yesterday. From a threatening position early in the round, the old...

'I'm f***ing miles away from regaining form' - Danny Willett's blunt assessment of his Open performance 

Former Masters champion Danny Willett admits there is no light at the end of the tunnel despite playing all four rounds of The Open at Royal...

Record crowds attend Open Championship at Royal Birkdale 

This week's crowds at Royal Birkdale have set a new record for the Open in England, the R&A has announced.