DEREK LAWRENSON IN ABU DHABI: Twelve months ago, a struggling Shane Lowry turned up here and spoke about rebuilding his career in some of the far-flung spots on the European Tour.

Brooks Koepka gathered all his crew around him on the practice ground here on Monday for a rallying cry at the end of his three-month break following knee surgery.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ABU DHABI: Matt Fitzpatrick is the 11-stone sapling punching well above his weight in a sport increasingly populated by the muscle-bound.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ABU DHABI: What an amazing feat of sporting longevity to be starting your 27th season on the European Tour and be leading going into the final round of an event.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ABU DHABI: It is still more than two months until the clocks go forward, and Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have yet to hit a shot.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Naturally, when the time came to put an 80 next to the name of Jack Nicklaus, it had nothing to do with golf.

The 46-year-old's chances have soared after his stirring success in the big-money Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on Sunday.

In the confines of the players' lounge and in off the record conversations on the practice ground, a litany of torment came to characterize a brutal first day at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

It's Hot or Not time again as Sportsmail's Riath Al-Samarrai reveals what's been making him feel warm and what's been leaving him cold this week.

Eddie Pepperell, the Englishman who walked out of a tournament mid-round in November because he had run out of golf balls, has a simple, avowed goal for the new season.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN DUBAI: Eddie Pepperell and Bryson DeChambeau engaged in a war of words after Pepperell criticised DeChambeau for his slow style of play by labelling him a 'single-minded twit'.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN DUBAI: Remember all those US Opens where they set the course up so hard it became a lottery, and they ended up with a funky winner?

The mystery backers behind proposals for a new Premier Golf League broke cover yesterday in a bid to convince Phil Mickelson to join their golfing revolution with the new competition.

The hole on the par-3 16th will be cut 24 paces on and eight from the left edge of the green to honour Bryant's two most iconic shirt numbers during his remarkable 20-year career within NBA.

Graeme McDowell succeeding in proving to his children he is not just a 'YouTube golfer', but their Easter holiday plans may have to change following his battling victory in the Saudi International.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Six weeks into the new year, McIlroy has already achieved his first goal for this season. On Monday, he will be on top of the world.

WORLD OF GOLF - DEREK LAWRENSON: You have to go all the way back to August last year to find the last time Woods, Koepka and McIlroy were all in the same place at the same time.

Spain's Jon Rahm fired a career-best 61 - which included a hole-in-one - to charge up the leaderboard at the WGC-Mexico Championship, where Justin Thomas has a one-shot lead.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: At what point do we officially start to worry about the form of Justin Rose? In a year he has dropped from world No 1 to 13th, his worst position since 2017.

It would be hard to conceive of a more perfect warm-up tournament for the Masters for Tiger Woods than the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida this week.

Tommy Fleetwood will have a golden opportunity on Sunday to claim his first victory on the PGA Tour - and banish an unwanted label.

Tommy Fleetwood's wait for his first victory in America goes on after a final-hole calamity on a wild, compelling Sunday in South Florida that ended in a victory for Sunjae Im.

Ian Poulter has slammed Paul Azinger as 'embarrassing' and accused the American TV commentator of showing 'disrespect' over comments he made about the European Tour.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Perhaps no American golfer in the past 35 years has had the ability to rub Europeans up the wrong way quite like Paul Azinger.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ORLANDO: Another masterclass from Rory McIlroy but a nightmare first round for Tommy Fleetwood at the Arnold Palmer Invitational

Tiger Woods' Masters preparation has suffered a setback as he is unable to return to action at next week's Players Championship in Florida due to a back issue, ESPN reported on Friday.

DEREK LAWRENSON AT BAY HILL: It really doesn't get much better than winning in America for the first time at the home of the man every golfer knows as the King.

Rory McIlroy was still a teenager when he marked his first appearance at the Players Championship in 2009 by getting thrown out of bars along Jacksonville Beach for carrying a fake ID.

Tyrrell Hatton revealed he is still feeling the effects of his victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational as he aims to improve his record at another iconic Florida venue.

Now it is Reed’s turn to run the gauntlet, the arch-villain in so many golfing eyes following his actions in improving his lie while attempting a shot from the sand at the Hero Challenge in December. 

The PGA Tour will continue for the next four weeks without spectators, beginning at the Players Championship today, and begging the question: will the Masters follow suit next month?

DEREK LAWRENSON AT SAWGRASS: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka took their cue from a subdued audience reeling from the news that this was the last action they will witness.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: When it came to the Ryder Cup, Paul Azinger was as sure-footed as they come; the feisty competitor who wasn't afraid to get in the face of Seve Ballesteros.

If you were wondering why Rory McIlroy is sporting a leaner look these days, a memorable video posted on social media on Tuesday rather gave the game away.

The US Open is set to become the third American major to be postponed and will now be played in early September, according to a report in the New York Post.

Tommy Fleetwood hopes the Ryder Cup can act as an 'amazing torch' after the coronavirus pandemic. The flagship contest between Europe and the United States remains in doubt.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Sir Nick Faldo believes Rory McIlroy and other leading lights will have a real opportunity to rewrite golf history if the majors are packed into a tight window.

Northern Irishman Rory Mcilroy showed off a few of his trademark moves including keepy-ups on his club before smashing the ball into the trees.

INTERVIEW BY DEREK LAWRENSON: Westwood thought he'd be playing lnear the site of the Battle of the Alamo, not at home in Newcastle doing a jigsaw re-enacting the Battle of Waterloo.

Few Europeans were even allowed a glimpse of Augusta National in 1980. That all changed when Seve Ballesteros had the looks, the charisma, the game and then the priceless green jacket.

When a 19-year-old Tiger Woods stood over his first-ever putt at the Masters on his debut in 1995, it is fair to say the American prodigy was in for a rude awakening.

The most important day in the Christian calendar has often coincided with a joyous one for golf followers. This year, they should've been enjoying the 18th Masters staged on Easter Sunday.

Augusta announced last month that the 2020 tournament, scheduled for April 9-12, had been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tournament is now set to be held November 12-15. 

Count the previously buoyant European Tour as another branch of sport staring into a financial black hole owing to the effects of coronavirus.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: you are loath to argue with a 20-strong selection committee containing players like Nick Price, Curtis Strange and Annika Sorenstam.

Tiger Woods' arrogance on the course may have made him come across as a 'p****', but it is also what sets him apart as a true champion, according to his former coach.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: There is still a window before the Ryder Cup organisers make a final decision on whether it will go ahead as planned. But it's fair to say the mood has changed.

World No 1 Rory McIlroy insists he will never take winning for granted as he waits to make a return to the game after the coronavirus lockdown.

Bjorn is taking some time away from the fairway during coronavirus lockdown and he decided to help others looking to improve their skills by filming a video on how to hit a chip shot.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: It was the hardest piece that I've ever had to write - and the lively aftermath was far, far worse. Seve Ballesteros tore into me in front of my peers.