Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 4 tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 12, 2024. Rory McIlroy needs one of the greatest miracles in Masters history to complete the Grand Slam this week, but he still believes he has "half a chance" to come from ten shots off the lead and don the green jacket. The Holywood star failed to make a birdie in a major round for only the third time in his career (and the first time since 2016), carding a five-over 77 to slip to 35th on four-over-par. He was playing alongsid ..read more

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 18 tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 12, 2024. Rory McIlroy will go into the weekend a whopping ten shots off the lead after another day of pain in the Masters at an attritional Augusta National. The world number two, who is seeking to become just the sixth man to complete the career Grand Slam, carded a five-over 77 as world number one Scottie Scheffler chiselled out a 72 in high winds to join Max Homa and Bryson DeChambeau in a share of the lead on six-under.. T ..read more

Shane Lowry of Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 2 tee during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 12, 2024. Shane Lowry looked like he’d just gone 12 rounds with Marvin Hagler rather than majestic Augusta National but he was proud to grind out a second-round 74 in the toughest conditions he’s ever faced to make the cut with ease in the Masters. The 2019 Open champion was gutted to three-putt the 18th hole and finally complete an opening 73 that did little justice to his play for 16 holes on day one. The golfing gods decided he would g ..read more

Masters champions and the Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament Fred S. Ridley at the 2024 Masters Club Dinner prior to the start of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Weather a threat to Masters start Thunderstorms and winds gusting to 45 mph are threatening to turn today's first round into a long and possibly disappointing start to the 88th Masters. According to the weathermen, there's a 90 pc chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 pm local time. That means that Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Xander Scha ..read more

Masters champion Tiger Woods of the United States speaks to the media during a press conference prior to the start of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Tiger Woods has reiterated his firm belief that Rory McIlroy will complete the career Grand Slam at the Masters at some point in his career. The Holywood star will be making his tenth attempt to win the Masters this week and join Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods by becoming just the sixth player to win all four Majors, “No question, he'll do it at some point ..read more

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke on the No. 13 hole during practice round 2 prior to the start of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 9, 2024. Augusta National rarely makes mistakes when it comes to planning, so it was no surprise to learn that its first off-property hospitality venture was a massive success. Situated on the corner of Washington Road and Berckmans Road, a seven-minute walk from one of the entrance gates, Map & Flag costs $17,000 a ticket, and it's already getting rave reviews. "It's Augusta. They did it perfect," a golf ..read more

Shane Lowry insists he's not in Augusta to make up the numbers and would "give anything" to become the first Irishman to win the Masters. The Clara man arrives in Georgia in excellent form, and while he doesn't consider himself in the same league as favourites such as Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark or Rory McIlroy, he knows if the stars align, he has the game to don that green jacket. "Ah look, I think it's hard to look past the top players in the world," Lowry said, keen to lower expectations after four top 25s in a row at the Masters, including a career-best tie for third behind Scheffler ..read more

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a stroke from the No. 18 tee during practice round 2 at Augusta National Golf Club, Tuesday, April 4, 2023. Rory McIlroy heads for Augusta National with a spring in his step after closing with a bogey-free six-under 66 to finish third in the Valero Texas Open. It was the Holywood star's first top 10 in six PGA TOUR starts this season and while the Masters will be a very different test, he believes controlling his emotions will be even more important than controlling his swing. "Yeah, it was good," said McIlroy, who finished on 11-under, nine shots outsid ..read more

Leona Maguire. Picture: Brian Arthur Leona Maguire might have lost 4&3 to Nelly Korda in the T-Mobile Match Play final in Las Vegas, but she heads to Chevron Championship believing she has the game hit the Major jackpot. The Co Cavan star was not at her best against the world number one, especially on the greens, but she left Sin City feeling great about her chances of contending for major glory next week. "Obviously, Nelly is the best player in the world right now, probably male or female," Maguire said of Korda, who became the first player since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win in four conse ..read more

Leona Maguire will be seeking to tap into her well of positive Solheim Cup memories when she faces world number one Nelly Korda in the final of the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas today (2155 Irish time). The Co Cavan star (29) holds a 3-1 record against Korda in foursomes and fourballs when wearing the European colours but she’s never gone head to head in matchplay with the American, who is bidding to become the first player to win four LPGA starts in a row since Lorena Ochoa in 2008. “I guess when you grow up with a twin sister, you're all pretty competitive,” said number one seed Mag ..read more