Rory McIlroy will have a decision to make on his Olympic Games future. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington believes Rory McIlroy should tee it up for Great Britain when golf returns to the Olympic Games in 2016.

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Shane Lowry in action in Portugal this week. Picture Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington are the leading Irishmen in a huge posse chasing down Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello in the final round of the Portugal Masters.

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Updated on Friday, October 14, 2011 at 8:19 by Brian Keogh

Padraig Harrington in action at the Oceânico Victoria Golf Course. Picture Fran Caffrey www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington struggled to keep his patience and avoid mistakes yet still opened with a five under 67 in a first round birdie-fest at the Portugal Masters.

But Gareth Maybin sounded like he was about to lose his when asked about his lack of participation in the Northern Ireland golfing boom after he posted a seven under 65 to sit just a shot off the lead.

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Padraig Harrington hits balls on the range before the final round in Austria. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington is keen to hook up with his new coach Pete Cowen again at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship where he will seek a result that will halt his dramatic slide down the world rankings and the Race to Dubai standings.

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Padraig Harrington tees off on the eighth at the Diamond Country Club. Photo Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.iePadraig Harrington took the first step on the road to rediscovering his game when he ignored what he described as “some of the junk in my head” to fire a second-round 70 in the Austrian GolfOpen.

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Michael Collins. (Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ie) Jonny Caldwell, Aaron O’Callaghan and Noel Fox made the top 15 who came through the European Tour Qualifying School First Stage at Dundonald Links.

But there was heartbreak for Cork’s Michael Collins, who was ninth overnight but slipped one shot outside the seven over par qualifying mark after a final round 77.

It was an even tougher day for former European Tour stalwart Gary Murphy as he crashed to an 80 to miss out on a place in Stage Two by five shots, slipping from 13th overnight to 18th place.

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The 16th at Dundonald Links. Five of the 10 Irish entrants are poised to progress with Clandeboye’s Jonny Caldwell and Scottish amateur Philip McLean tied for the lead with a round to play in the First Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School at Dundonald Links.

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Gary Murphy in action at the Irish Open this year. Photo Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieGary Murphy started well but former Walker Cup player Jonny Caldwell is just one stroke off the pace after a marathon day at Stage One of the European Tour Qualifying School at Dundonald Links.

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Updated on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 22:44 by Brian Keogh

Crisis? What crisis? No fewer than 41 Irish players have stumped up the €1,600 entry fee to follow their dream and enter the First Qualifying Stage of the European Tour School.

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Irish PGA champion Simon Thornton. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieSimon Thornton won the 101st Irish PGA Championship by an impressive six shots from Gary Murphy at Seapoint.

The 31-year old Englishman - now playing out of Newcastle, Co Down and a Team Ireland sponsored player - closed with rounds of 71 and 66 on the final day to finish with a record low total of 19-under-par 269.

Thornton was disappointed that he failed to complete 72 holes without a bogey - he dropped his only shot of the week at the par four 11th in his final round - but he could not have been happier with his victory.

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Happier times. Gary Murphy en route to a share of third place in the 2008 Irish Open at Adare Manor. Photo by Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ieGary Murphy posted a final round of three under par 69 to banish the memory of his third day 79 at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa in Essex.

The Drogheda based professional finished the week on one over par and back in a tie for 58th spot but he will head to this week’s Irish Open presented by Discover Ireland buoyed by his final round performance in England.

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Gary Murphy at the Iberdrola Open in Mallorca in May. Picture Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieGary Murphy found some form ahead of next week’s Irish Open when he went from missing the cut to the fringes of contention at the English Challenge.

The 38 year old shot a five under par 67 at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa to move to three under for the tournament – six shots off the lead.

Jamie Moul, a former Walker Cup team mate of Rory McIlroy and World Amateur Number One, is the man in command of a nine under par lead heading into the weekend.

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The 18th at Stoke by Nayland.Colm Moriarty was the leading Irishman after round one of the English Challenge following his opening one under par 71 at the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa.

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Chris Doak. Credit: Ewan Barry / Scottish Hydro ChallengeGary Murphy’s nightmare start to the season continued when he went from tied fourth overnight to missing the cut in the Scottish Hydro Challenge.

The Kilkenny man was brilliantly placed to give his year the kiss of life when he opened with a four under 67 at the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Course.

But a four over par outward half of 39 undid him completely and while he birdied the 13th coming home, his three over 74 left him one shot outside the cut mark on one-under par.

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Gary Murphy opened with a four under par 67 in the Scottish Hydro Challenge. Pictured here at the Iberdrola Open. Credit: www.golffile.ieGary Murphy fired his lowest round for 18 months when he opened with a four under par 67 in the Scottish Hydro Challenge at the Macdonald Spey Valley Golf Resort.

The 38-year old Kilkenny man, who lost his European Tour card at end of last season, last shot 67 in the second round of the 2010 Joburg Open.

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