Darren Clarke nails his approach into the 9th green at Coolum during the first round of the Australian PGA Championship (Photo: Anthony Powter) www.golffile.ieDarren Clarke is on course to finish his worst ever season with his best finish for 18 months.

Photo: Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ieRory McIlroy suffered a nightmare Masters meltdown as stablemate Charl Schwartzel birdied the last four holes to clinch a thrilling two-shot win at Augusta.

Pic: golffile.ieGallows humour? Or a cunning, under the radar ploy by a man who’s as dangerous as anyone in the 64-man field?

In truth, it was probably a little of both from Padraig Harrington when he analysed his draw in a star-studded upper section of the Sam Snead bracket.

Geoff Ogilvy won’t be underestimating Padraig Harrington if they eventually clash in Tucson next week.Padraig Harrington faces a tough first round clash in next week’s WGC Accenture Match Play Championship - even if Francesco Molinari decides to withdraw.

The Italian says he is 60-40 in favour of playing after becoming a father for the first time recently and his participation would see Harrington face Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy, winner of the title in 2006 and 2009 and the beaten finalist in 2007.

Padraig Harrington is scheduled to face two-time champion Geoff Ogilvy in the first round of the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson next week. (Picture Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)Padraig Harrington carded his worst score since the final round of the 2009 US PGA when he closed with a six over 78 to finish near the back of the field in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Just two European players made the Top-10 of the Decade - a ranking of the best performances in the 81 biggest tournaments played around the globe between January 2001 and December 2010.

The 3 Irish Open could have a jet-set field with high flyers Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy and Sergio Garcia on a hit-list of superstar attractions.

The European Tour is planning to ask mega-rich supporters like JP McManus and Dermot Desmond for help so they can fly the stars from The Players in Sawgrass to Ireland for the €3m event at Baltray from May 14-17.

 

Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy sprinkled a little more magic on Rory McIlroy’s WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship performance when he defeated England’s Paul Casey by 4 and 3 in the 36-hole final at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club near Tucson.

The plaudits keep on piling up for Rory McIlroy following his phenomenal PGA Tour debut in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in Tucson. But it appears that the only person who was unsurprised by his run to the quarter-finals was the young gun himself.

Rory McIlroy's magical run in the WGC-Accenture Match Play came to an end when he lost 2 and 1 to a clinical Geoff Ogilvy at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

But the Holywood teenager, 19, left Tucson with his held held high after forcing the Australian major champion to birdie the 15th, 16th and 17th to shade a thrilling desert showdown.