DEREK LAWRENSON AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: Less than two hours after setting foot in Northern Ireland for the first time, Tiger Woods had checked into his rental home, and was on the first tee.

INTERVIEW: After a few years of the weird and wonderful, you won't be too surprised to learn that the Claret Jug has been on a rather more sedate journey in the safe hands of Francesco Molinari.

Paul McGinley believes 'something must be amiss' with Tiger Woods for him to play just ten competitive rounds of golf between the Masters three months ago and the Open.

IAN LADYMAN AT PORTRUSH: Outgoing champion Francesco Molinari admitted he hadn't particularly enjoyed the experience of defending his title this week.

Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington wants Shane Lowry to build on his Open success and lead out the Europe team at Whistling Straits next year. Harrington is a close friend of Lowry's.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT PEBBLE BEACH: With eight top five finishes in the majors but no victories, it's hardly surprising that Rickie Fowler is considered the best player under the age of 40.

Tyrrell Hatton is hoping to rekindle an old flame in the 148th Open Championship after admitting he has struggled for motivation since his successful Ryder Cup debut.

JONATHAN MCEVOY AT PORTRUSH: Rickie Fowler, a nearly man of the majors, will wave aside the chequered history of Northern Ireland by wearing his trademark orange shirt on Sunday.

A shocking video has shown the moment a football fan was punched in the face by an 'aggressive' and 'out of control' steward during Blackpool's EFL Trophy clash with Scunthorpe.

George Clooney and his friend Rande Gerber took out their classic sports cars for a drive around Los Angeles. George rode what looked like a classic Porsche Roadster, while Rande drove a Corvette.

New Scotland captain Stuart Hogg is to seek out national icon Gavin Hastings for last-minute advice on how to lead the team from full-back in the Six Nations opener against Ireland.

De Toekomst training complex in Amsterdam was like a scene from Armageddon as Ajax fans let their players know what the fixture means to them while there were similar scenes in Rotterdam.

Ed Sheeran has been making the most of his time off from music, as he reveals he has branched out into painting and opened a new pub with his manager.

The millionaire pop star, 28, lodged plans to open the 'prayer retreat' last month at his estate in Suffolk. But his local parish council has since stressed that the current plans are not legal.

She is battling it out to be crowned the winner of Australia's hottest cookery competition.

It's no surprise Masterchef Australia will be coming back in 2021 with thriving viewership on the Back To Win season. 

President Donald Trump opened up about his mother on Friday, saying she believed he could do no wrong, adding 'which is maybe why I ended up the way I ended up.'

Dutch schools have been closed since March 14 and will reopen on May 11. Teachers at the Springplank in Den Bosch say they 'are not worried'. There have been 5,359 deaths in the country.

Government sources have indicated Boris Johnson wants schools to begin to reopen on June 1, although unions have expressed concern about safety. TUC's Frances O'Grady is pictured.

Garden centres will be allowed to reopen next week under Boris Johnson's plans to ease the lockdown.

Officers from Devon and Cornwall Police stopped the driver on the M5 and when they got to the cab they discovered the inside was covered in white powder.

Northern Irishman McIlroy carded a six-under 64 to charge up the leaderboard and sit alongside American duo Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson on 13 under.

All of Rory McIlroy's well-documented problems when playing in the final group on Sunday were consigned to history emphatically during the course of a stunning seven stroke success.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Rory McIlroy has been made the joint favourite to win this week's US Open. Here are six reasons for McIlroy backers to be cheerful.

Under-fire organisers of the US Open have admitted it is 'critical' they get it right at Pebble Beach this week after four years of controversy.

Rory McIlroy says he is feeling more confident than at any time since 2016 as he bids to end his wretched run at the US Open.

Rory McIlroy made a healthy start to the US Open on Thursday night as he shot up the leaderboard with a three-under par round of 68. 

DEREK LAWRENSON AT PEBBLE BEACH: One month to go until the biggest sporting event the province has seen, and the boys from Northern Ireland are building up a head of steam.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER AT PEBBLE BEACH: Is it possible to win a major golf tournament without actually playing well? Justin Rose appears determined to find out.

Rory McIlroy arrived at the ASI Scottish Open thinking that if he could muster four rounds of 67, he'd have a good chance of claiming his first victory in Scotland.

Rory McIlroy admits it would 'mean the world' to win an Open Championship on home soil after completing the ASI Scottish Open with an error-strewn final round.

IAN LADYMAN AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: Few will find their return to this wonderful stretch of links more poignant than Bezuidenhout. It was here that the 25-year-old was banned for two years.

BETTING GUIDE: The 2019 Open Championship. Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka are heavily fancied. But who else is worth a punt? CHRIS CUTMORE makes his picks here.

Rory McIlroy is deliberately trying to keep his Open Championship campaign low key as expectations rocket about the possibility of him securing a home win in Northern Ireland.

MARTIN SAMUEL - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: To be on the coastline of County Antrim this week is to see a country beaming its most toothsome smile.

Golf's biggest names, including Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka, have now finalised their preparations for what should be a fascinating four days at The Open.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: McIlroy said he wanted to punch himself after a nightmare start at The Open on Thursday, shooting an eight-over-par round of 79.

MARTIN SAMUEL AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: Rory McIlroy was far from being stirred by Northern Ireland's first Open since 1951 - it was as if he momentarily forgot how to play or what it all meant.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: What a weird and wonderful first round at the 148th Open. One where the Masters champion barely broke 80.

Sportsmail's IAN LADYMAN was at Royal Portrush on Thursday and has provided six pieces of insight after round one of the 2019 Open Championship.

RIATH AL-SAMARRAI AT ROYAL PORTRUSH: After the choke came the roar. Unfortunately for Rory McIlroy, it wasn't quite loud enough to change the outcome of this sorry and soggy trip home.

An emotional Rory McIlroy was left holding back tears after missing the cut in The Open at Royal Portrush by a shot following a valiant six-under par second round of 65. 

MIKE DICKSON AT PORTRUSH: Rory McIlroy would have needed to be a robot not to feel the pressure of playing in the Open on its return to Portrush, according to Graeme McDowell.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT PORTRUSH: Paul McGinley compares Rory McIlroy to the brightest schoolboy in the classroom who has a tendency to daydream every now and then. 

DEREK LAWRENSON AT PORTRUSH: Shane Lowry became The Open champion on Sunday, Sportsmail's golf correspondent gives his highs and lows of the tournament.

Lowry stormed to his very first major win on Sunday, cruising home by six shots at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. By contrast McIlroy missed Friday's cut by one shot.

The 32-year-old won The Open Championship at Royal Portrush on Sunday, becoming the fifth Irish player to lift the Claret Jug after Fred Daly, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy has won two tournaments this season and is the No 1 on the PGA Tour when it comes to the two most important categories concerning play from tee to green but he struggled at The Open.

EXCLUSIVE: It was Halloween at the player-manager's house and Anderlecht's Kemar Roofe discovered it was not enough to simply turn up to the party with his children in fancy dress.

Ticket sales for the Rugby World Cup are close to hitting the 2million mark with 130 days remaining before England kick off against Fiji.. Sportsmail understands 1.9m out of 2.3m have been sold.