DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Three months ago, Chris Wood was feeling so addled by golf he walked off a course mid-round for the first time in his life and out of the Morocco Open.

One day after ridiculing the idea that odds of 100-1 represented any sort of value on him winning the Irish Open, Padraig Harrington opened with a marvellous 63 for a one-stroke lead.

On a perfect day for scoring, Donaldson took full advantage with a fine 64 on Thursday to lie just one shot off the first-round lead held by American Matt Kuchar and three continentals.

Tommy Fleetwood is determined to keep a sense of perspective as he looks to end the major season on a high at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

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.

Ryder Cup winner Thorbjorn Olesen has been suspended from the European Tour after being charged with sexual assault, being drunk on an aircraft and common assault.

The Irish beauty, who is currently five-and-a-half months pregnant, admitted that while the couple are 'excited' to expand their family, they 'had a few bumps in the road this time round'.

Vogue Williams was feeling nostalgic on Sunday, after she and husband Spencer Matthews revealed they are expecting a second child.

Singer and former-reality star Julius Cowdrey has described his recent battle with coronavirus as 'awful' and has warned that 'the virus spreads like wildfire'.

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.

Mansfield have suspended midfielders Dion Donohue and Jacob Mellis following an alleged serious breach of club discipline.Neither player was included in the matchday squad in Saturday's win at Carlisle.

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.

She became a household name after starring on the hit MTV reality series. And eight years later, Heidi Montag hit the carpet for the MTV VMAs with her husband Spencer Pratt and their son.

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.

The Shape Of You hitmaker, 28, is said to be taking a short hiatus from music in order to spend time with his wife Cherry Seaborn, who he married in December 2018.

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.

Ed Sheeran has added five properties into his London portfolio, including two flats in Covent Garden and a pair of flats by the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. His property value is now worth £57million.

According to The Sun, the Shape Of You hitmaker has developed a passion for gardening during the lockdown as well as keeping chickens.

Vice President Pence is denying he was ever part of a conversation about invoking the 25th amendment against President Trump.

Festivus came early this year, with Sen. Rand Paul dropping his annual Festivus Report 2019 before Monday's Seinfeldian holiday.

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

Sashi Cheliah won MasterChef Australia with an immense 93 out 100 points, the highest grand finale total ever for a winner in the show's history.

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.

Vice President Mike Pence's spokesperson Katie Miller, who also serves as a spokesperson for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, tested positive for the coronavirus.. 

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.