Teenager Rory McIlroy will take inspiration from double Open champion Padraig Harrington as he attempts to win his first European Tour title in the Dunhill Links Championship.

McIlroy looked set to break his duck in the Omega European Masters at the start of last month, taking a four-shot lead into the final round only to eventually lose out to Jean-Francois Lucquin in a play-off.

But the 19-year-old from Northern Ireland is on course to have another chance this weekend after a hugely impressive second round of 69 at Carnoustie - where he finished leading amateur in the Open last year - left him just one shot off the lead.
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Tags: Alfred Dunhill Links, Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington

Padraig Harrington produced a brilliant finish to rescue his hopes of a third Dunhill Links Championship and his second Order of Merit title.


He was level par after 12 holes, good enough only for a share of 90th place but then birdied five of his last six holes to card a five-under-par 67, three off the lead held by Ryder Cup team-mate Soren Hansen and England's Ross Fisher. Read More...

Tags: Alfred Dunhill Links, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Gary Murphy, Damien McGrane

Manchester United mad Rory McIlroy will partner football legend Sir Bobby Charlton in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

And while Ulster teenager wasn’t born until 16 years after Charlton’s last game at Old Trafford, he’s learnt enough in his first year as a professional to become a Bobby dazzler this week.

The Holywood hotshot, 19, hit headlines around the world last term when he finished third at St Andrews to secure his tour card in just his second start as a pro.

Now McIlroy looks ready to go one better than his play-off defeat in last month’s European Masters and he can’t wait to lift that maiden title.
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Tags: Alfred Dunhill Links, Rory McIlroy

"Big Easy" Ernie Els has urged Padraig Harrington to sit down and enjoy his incredible Major run.

Harrington admits that he is finding it difficult to get his head around the fact that he has won three Majors in just over a year.

But Els - a three time Major winner himself - reckons the Dubliner should savour his hot streak while the going's good.

Sidelined in 2005 due to knee surgery and without a Major win since 2002, Els said: "Padraig he's on a great streak now and he's having a great time in his life and he's got things going his way. Read More...

Tags: Alfred Dunhill Links, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington

JP Manus handed over £1,000 to charity as Padraig Harrington ducked an embarrassing equipment clash at St Andrews.

McManus and Harrington were standing on the 18th tee at the Home of Golf when they were confronted with a Callaway long-driving competition designed to help raise funds for an Ernie Els sponsored autism program. Read More...

Tags: JP McManus, Alfred Dunhill Links, Padraig Harrington, Callaway, Wilson Golf

Padraig Harrington is determined to become golf's equivalent of Count Dracula in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and suck the blood out of the Order of Merit title race.

The Open and US PGA champion has had blood tests that confirm that he is physically on the limit after his double Major winning season.

But despite his fatigue and the fact that England's Lee Westwood is breathing down his neck in the race for the European money title, Harrington reckons he can still kill off the opposition at St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie before the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.
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Tags: Padraig Harrington, Alfred Dunhill Links, Carnoustie

Padraig Harrington and Michael Hoey are bracing themselves for an end of season treasure hunt at opposite ends of the European Tour food chain.

Dubliner Harrington will tee it up in this €3.5 million Alfred Dunhill Links in Scotland bidding to land the title for the third time and kill off rivals in the race for the Order of Merit crown.

Just €228,317 ahead of Ryder Cup team mate Lee Westwood, Harrington will tee up with JP McManus in the pro-celebrity event knowing that victory would make him virtually uncatchable ahead of the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

But Hoey will be battling at the other end of the scale as he fights to make the top 20 in the Challenge Tour rankings who will earn tour cards at the end of the season.
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Tags: Padraig Harrington, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin, Alfred Dunhill Links, Challenge Tour, Harry Vardon Trophy

Des Smyth is hoping for an American Dream finish his megabucks Champions Tour career.

The Drogheda ace, 55, plans to round off his six-year stint on the US Seniors circuit by rediscovering the form that has helped him win over $4 million.

Barring a miraculous series of results, the eight time European Tour winner will say goodbye to his Champions Tour exemption and switch to the European Seniors Tour next season.

But he has no plans to go quietly and hopes to rediscover his magic touch as he heads Stateside next week to play the last three events of the US season. Read More...

Tags: Champions Tour, Des Smyth

Des Smyth had to settle for third place as England’s Peter Mitchell withstood a strong challenge from Scotland’s Sam Torrance to win his second European Seniors Tour title of the season at the Scottish Seniors Open over the East course at the Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club near Edinburgh.
 
Mitchell, who won his maiden Seniors Tour title at the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open earlier this summer, started the day two shots in front of Torrance but found himself one behind the former Ryder Cup captain at the turn before carding three birdies over the next four holes to open a lead he was never to relinquish.
 
In the end, a three-time European Tour winner from Kent, who carded 12 birdies over his closing 36 holes, posted a nine under par 54-hole aggregate of 207, two shots ahead of Torrance and three in front of first round leader Smyth who slipped to a closing 71.
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Tags: European Seniors Tour, Des Smyth, Sam Torrance, Eamonn Darcy, Denis O'Sullivan, Jimmy Heggarty, Eddie Polland

Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey had to endure a day of frustration as he was overtaken at the top of the leaderboard at the Dutch Fututres presented by Royal Bank of Scotland, eventually finishing in a tie for sixth place.
 
The Belfast 29 year old had carved out a one-stroke lead going into the final round of the European Challenge Tour event at the Golf club Houtrak in Holland, but he could do nothing to stop the irresistible duo of Denmark’s Jeppe Huldahl and Holland’s Taco Remkes.
 
Respective final round scores of 65 and 66 left Huldahl and Remkes tied on  13 under par 265 aggregates before the Dutchman delighted his home crowd by producing a birdie four at the first extra play-off hole to secure his second victory of the season. Read More...

Tags: Challenge Tour, Michael Hoey