COMMENT: Even though it was expected, it did not lessen the sadness. The final two rounds of the Masters represented the final frontier as far as live coverage of golf on the BBC was concerned.

Brooks Koepka is the No 1 player in the world and was the leading qualifier for the Presidents Cup, which will be played between December 12 and 15 at Royal Melbourne in Australia.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN DUBAI: Two years ago, the Englishman put in a jittery performance when he was the frontrunner and was almost caught by Justin Rose

DEREK LAWRENSON IN DUBAI: The first day at the season finale DP World Tour Championship was about as far removed from a humdrum opening round as it would be possible to find.

Rory McIlroy bounced back from a disappointing performance on Friday to come to within two strokes of leaders John Rahm and McIlroy, who is chasing a third victory at the DP World Tour Championship.

After 47 tournaments and hundreds of thousands of shots, one fearless stroke on the 18th hole decided everything between Jon Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood.

DEREK LAWRENSON 2019 REVIEW: As a farewell column for 2019, let's reflect on another momentous season and hand out some accolades to the best and worst moments in 2019.

It is a decade since a spectacular fall from grace exploded into life with a sensational sequence of events, starting with a car crash in a quiet, gated community in Florida during Thanksgiving.

Players have been given permission to wear shorts on competition days for the first time after forecasts showed temperatures at Leopard Creek were set to hit forty degrees celsius.

As another week on the sporting landscape races by, Sportsmail's Riath Al-Samarrai examines who has left themselves hot, and who has been left firmly out in the cold.

Rory McIlroy has ruled out playing in Saudi Arabia next month, saying he has no interest in contesting the tournament that has offered lavish appearance fees to attract many of the world's top players.

The International team had held the edge going into the final day at Royal Melbourne with a 10-8 lead, but victory in the singles for Patrick Reed 4&2 over Pan Cheng-tsung put the US in front.

In the second of our series looking at the greatest moments of a memorable sporting year, we go back to that magical April day at Augusta, and one of the most incredible major victories in history.

OLIVER HOLT - CHIEF SPORTS WRITER: Five years ago, when I was already plenty old enough to know better, I went to Orlando to chronicle the end of Tiger Woods' career.

Tiger Woods will have his first crack at securing a record-setting 83rd PGA Tour victory in two weeks in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, the former world number one confirmed this week.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: Next week the game's big guns return and another campaign gets under way. Here are eight talking points sure to fill the season with intrigue…

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ABU DHABI: What were you doing at the age of 15? Josh Hill, taking a break from his GCSE studies, warmed up for his European Tour debut by taking on Brooks Koepka.

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: 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.

McIlroy could hardly ask for a more alluring target in his first tournament for seven weeks. A win at the Farmers Insurance Open will take him back to world No 1 for the first time in more than four years.

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.

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 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.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN LOS ANGELES: Imagine having a local rapper chanting rhymes to a sizeable crowd as you prepare to play to the par three 16th at the Genesis Invitational pro-am. 

DEREK LAWRENSON IN LOS ANGELES: A couple of firecrackers from Rory McIlroy in his first round back as world number one, and an opening statement from Tiger Woods.

DEREK LAWRENSON IN LOS ANGELES: On a day when Tiger showed once more that no venue causes him fits quite like the wiles and mysteries of Riviera, McIlroy answered the riddles with a fine 67

On Friday afternoon, a rumour spread like wildfire at the Genesis Invitational that Phil Mickelson was about to be announced as the first face of the proposed Premier Golf League.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: The walk from the 18th to the Riviera clubhouse involves negotiating a formidable incline for a man in good health, let alone one just back from heart surgery.

Rory McIlroy has delivered a potentially fatal blow to the proposed Premier Golf League by ruling himself out of joining a breakaway circuit.

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.

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

DEREK LAWRENSON IN ORLANDO: Rather like Liverpool at Watford last week, Tommy Fleetwood did not do things by halves when it came to the end of his run of 47 tournaments without a missed cut.

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 IN ORLANDO: In only his second tournament back after three months out, the 28-year-old from Marlow has given himself the chance of a first victory on the PGA Tour.

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.

DEREK LAWRENSON - WORLD OF GOLF: The first time Tyrrell Hatton played pro golf in Orlando he was sharing a room each night with several fellow wannabes,

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.

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.