Francesco Molinari returned to winning ways yesterday as the Italian Ryder Cup star produced a best-of-the-week 65 – seven under par – to turn a four-stroke deficit into a three-shot win at the Spanish Open in Seville.

Home favourite looks poised to pose in fourth Green Jacket after young pretender finds demons chasing him around the National course again

The death of Seve Ballesteros will be remembered at the annual Masters champions dinner in Augusta tonight.

The future of the Scottish Open has been secured for the next three years, after the announcement yesterday of a new sponsor.

Lee Westwood has made it through to Friday at the World Match Play for the first time in 12 attempts and probably headed to TGI Fridays for his dinner.

Cherie Blair has joined a second wave of phone-hacking claimants, her solicitor confirmed yesterday, as it emerged Charlotte Church's legal battle against News International is still on track for a High Court showdown next week.

Luke Donald's nine-month reign as world No 1 is under threat. By losing to Ernie Els in the first round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, a title he won last year, Donald has given Lee Westwood or Rory McIlroy a chance to claim golf's top spot. But victory on Sunday is required for all the numbers to add up. Westwood has cleared the first hurdle beating Nicolas Colsaerts 3&1. Meanwhile, McIlroy was doing his best to overtake South African George Coetze last night.

The Independent's Senior Travel Editor Simon Calder won a charity edition of Celebrity Mastermind last night, seeing off challenges from The Observer food critic, Jay Rayner, the National Lottery presenter OJ Borj, and Anthony Costa from the boy band Blue.

A weary Rory McIlroy dropped two shots over his final three holes but still managed to cling on to a share of the lead after the second round of the co-sanctioned Hong Kong Open today.

Choi and Scott (and Williams) hand US pair record defeat

Greg Norman thinks the match-up is "inevitable", while Fred Couples believes it "would be fun". Tiger Woods, for one, would have no problem playing against Adam Scott and his former caddie, Steve Williams, this week. Indeed, his mood said "bring it on".

Wozniacki believed to have influenced decision called ‘bizarre’ by former stable-mate Westwood

The tears will flow freely at the opening ceremony of the Seve Trophy here this morning and will doubtless continue when Ballesteros's friend and countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez so aptly hits the opening drive. Yet the emotion will be tinged with "disappointment" at the high-profile stay-aways.

Among the many messages of support read out by Nigel Edwards in his call to arms to the British and Irish Walker Cup team here last night, was one from the world No 2, Lee Westwood, urging his young countrymen not to be "overawed by the opposition".