Hamburg  - Although Tiger Woods took yet another step towards immortality by winning his 14th major, it was Irishman Pedraig Harrington who grabbed the headlines when he became the first European to win the PGA Championship in 78 years.

Harrington added the Open to take two of the four majors on offer in 2008, but could do little to prevent Europe from relinquishing their hold on the Ryder Cup with a 16.5 to
11.5 defeat against the US at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

Trevor Immelman managed to beat Tiger Woods by three shots in The Masters played at Augusta in April to win the first major on offer for the year.

London, Dec 16 : Researchers from Seoul National University in Korea have developed a new golf ball with grooves rather than dimples that would prevent the putted ball from going in the wrong direction.

Dimples on golf balls help a struck ball to fly further however replacing what looks like a pretty pattern, with grooves would prevent the putted ball from going in the wrong direction.

According to Hae Cheon Choi from Seoul National University in Korea, the trouble with dimples is that striking one of the indentations off centre can send the struck ball in the wrong direction.

Wellington, Dec. 14 : American golfer Tiger Woods'' Kiwi caddie Steve Williams has reportedly called his (Woods') fierce rival Phil Mickelson a "prick".

According to stuff. co. nz, Williams says it''s "no secret" the two leading golfers in the world "don''t get along".

Williams'' told the Star-Times in an interview yesterday that the relationship between Woods'' and Mickelson was a festering one, and has been exacerbated with the latter offering a withering assessment of Woods'' while he recovers from knee surgery.

Sydney  - Organizers of a golf tournament in Australia said Thursday that perennial bad-boy John Daly would not face disciplinary action after grabbing the camera of an over-zealous fan and smashing it against a tree.

They said the big-hitting American was within his rights because cameras and mobile phones were banned from the course at the Australian Open in Sydney.

Daly has a long history of alcohol abuse, with three recorded spells in the Betty Ford Clinic in the United States.

Daly released a statement via tournament organizers saying the fan got too close.

"The guy that had the camera had already taken a dozen shots at close range," he said.

Madrid  - Spanish former golfer Severiano Ballesteros was released from hospital Tuesday, after two months of inpatient treatment for a brain tumour.

"Ballesteros will continue to receive outpatient treatment from the Medical Oncology and Oncological Radiotherapy services," La Paz hospital in Madrid said in a statement.

The former golfer, 51, collapsed on October 6 at the Madrid airport and was subsequently diagnosed with a brain tumour. He was first operated on eight days later and has undergone surgery a total of four times.

LAQUINTA, Calif., Dec. 4 - Australian James Nitties shot a 9-under 63 Thursday that put him one shot in front after two rounds of the six-day PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament in California.

Nitties completed 36 holes of the grueling and pressure-packed event at 12-under 132.

Robert Garrigus and Harrison Frazar shared second at 133. Nitties, Garrigus and Frazar began the day tied for 36th place and shot to the top of the leaderboard.