PAUL Dunne grabbed a share of the first round lead with a six-under par 66 at the Open de Espana in Madrid on Thursday.

 McIlroy started the final round in second place, just three shots behind leader Reed, but it was Reed’s fellow Americans Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth who emerged as the main threats as McIlroy struggled with his putting.

A NUMBER of Ulster players, including former North of Ireland Amateur Open champion JR Galbraith, from Whitehead, are included in a list of new professionals who are set to benefit financially and by way of guaranteed starts on the European Challenge Tour, thanks to grants provided by CGI, spearheaded by Des Smyth.

Jon Rahm was a surprise winner of the Dubai Duty Free PGA Irish Open Championship, hosted by the Rory Foundation, at Portstewart last year and he is coming back to defend the title at Ballyliffin on July 5 to 8, hoping to close a yawning 21-year gap.

WORLD number one and defending champion Dustin Johnson crashed out of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play with a game to play after suffering his second straight defeat.

PRE-TOURNAMENT favourite Rory McIlroy faces an uphill task to avoid an early exit from the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play after losing to Peter Uihlein in his opening group game.

RORY McILROY was a winner again last night as he completed a blistering weekend to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

A DOUBLE-BOGEY at the 18th took the gloss off what was shaping up to be a headline-grabbing round for Rory McIlroy on a thrilling opening day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The tape goes up on the Cheltenham Festival just six days from now, and the first afternoon of the four-day Festival has the potential to make or break the bookies and favourite-backers alike.

JUST days after holding off the challenge of four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, China's Li Haotong will attempt to claim back-to-back wins in the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

He even outperformed world number one Dustin Johnson.