Furyk Lays Down McIlroy Marker

Jim Furyk has described Rory McIlroy as "a marked man" with just over a week to go to the Ryder Cup.

The 23-year-old Northern Irishman has the chance to make himself £7million richer this week by winning the Tour Championship in Atlanta and with it the FedEx Cup play-offs - just as Furyk did two years ago.

"He won the PGA by a ton of shots, won his last two events and no matter how he plays here he's right now the present day Tiger Woods where everyone's eyes are on him," Furyk said. "Tiger is still Tiger - everyone would love to see that pairing in the Ryder Cup - but obviously he (McIlroy) is a marked man."

He added: "He's the number one player in the world. He's going to garner all the attention, as well he should. He's played phenomenal this year.

"It's hard to imagine Rory not being in contention this week as well as he's been playing. I think all we can do is really worry about our game and try to get ourselves in position to try to win a golf tournament."

Only 30 players are in the field at East Lake, including all 12 of the American Ryder Cup side and European team members Lee Westwood, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia in addition to McIlroy.

As winner of the second and third legs of the play-offs, McIlroy could even finish as low as 29th on Sunday and still take the £6million FedEx bonus, but the points system is also such that he will miss out on that if Woods, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson or Brandt Snedeker win the tournament.

Furyk came from 11th on the standings in the final week to pip Donald to the jackpot, but it was Donald who was celebrating at the end of the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor a week later.

"The Ryder Cup is a little different animal," added Furyk, a wild card pick by United States captain Davis Love this time. "We'll have some team dinners, the big gala - you're more on someone else's schedule that week rather than your own.

"But I've been involved in a lot of them. I know what is expected of me. I know how to manage my time and how to pace myself. I made all of the rookie mistakes the first couple and was kind of worn out by Friday - I'll make sure that's not going to be the case for me and try to help some of the young guys along as well."

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Kearney is Q School Wunderbar

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Cian Curley's two-under-par 70 saw him finish as the top Irish golfer on day one of the first stage of European Tour qualifying at Wychwood Park in Cheshire.

Lucan-born Curley completed his round with a birdie to end the day tied for fifth, two shots off the lead held by Sweden's Nils Floren.

British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar is seven adrift after shooting a three-over 75, which included two birdies and five bogeys. 

Waterville's David Higgins shot a level-par 72, while Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell and Donal Gleeson both carded 74s.

In qualifying at Fleesensee in Germany, Royal Dublin's Niall Kearney recorded five birdies in an excellent opening three-under 69, which put him joint 15th, five strokes off the lead.

Athenry's Shane Franklin and Stephen Grant of The Heritage both came home in 76, the former's round featuring a forgettable triple-bogey seven.

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Lee Laughs Off Rory Rift

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Lee Westwood has laughed off speculation of a rift between himself and Rory McIlroy and insists he would love to play alongside the world number one at the upcoming the Ryder Cup.

Talk of ill-feeling between the pair has been rife since McIlroy quit the management company Westwood has been with for 20 years, with the two then exchanging views over the split on Twitter.

But according to Westwood, they remain friends and he would love to play alongside the in-form Northern Irishman in Medinah next week.

Referring to a conversation the pair had at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, he told the Daily Telegraph: "We were talking about it as we were going around Crooked Stick. I said to him 'have you had any thoughts about who you are playing with a Medinah? Because if nobody else wants to play with you and you're desperate, I really don't mind filling in'. 

We had a laugh about that.

"There is nothing there. Fans must watch us having banter on the course thinking 'so where is this grudge?' So he left the management company I'm with. So what? It was a business decision. There is nothing personal with me.

"There is nothing between us personally that would get in the way.

"Who wouldn't want to play with Rory when he's in this nick. I'd love to. It'd be good. In fact, it would probably be way better than good, particularly in the four balls. We'd make a ton of birdies."

Ballesteros Wins Madrid Open

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Javier Ballesteros, son of late golf great Seve Ballesteros, won the amateur Madrid Open on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Javier dedicated the win to his father, who died in May 2011 at the age of 54 from complications of a cancerous brain tumor.

"My father always told me that you have to play with what you got, and that's what I did," he said. "I thought about him a lot during the 18 holes and I dedicate this victory to him and my mother."

The younger Ballesteros finished the three-round tournament at 6 under to win by four strokes.

Seve Ballesteros won five major titles, recorded 50 victories on the European Tour and transformed European golf.

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Stan is the Main Man at Q School

Mark Staunton and Craig Montgomerie

It was a remarkable one-two for Ireland in the European Tour qualifying school's first stage in Scotland yesterday, with Mark Staunton and Peter O'Keefe taking the top two spots.

Staunton (30) led from the start on Tuesday and finished with a solid one-under-par 71 yesterday for a 72-hole aggregate of 276 and a yawning eight-stroke cushion over Muskerry-based O'Keefe at Roxburghe Hotel.

The Ballinsloe man could afford two bogeys in the last three holes and still demolish his rivals.

O'Keefe was steady yesterday, compiling halves of 36 and 37 for a 73 and a 284 aggregate, which gave him second place by a stroke from England's George Thacker.

Waterville's New Orleans-based Mark Murphy scraped through to the next stage on the cut-off mark after closing with a level-par 72 for 291.

Knowing it would be tight, Murphy kept his nerve to par the last six holes and finished joint eighth -- a stroke more and he would have been out.

Damian Mooney did fall by the wayside after he slipped to a 74 for a 294 total. Staunton, O'Keefe and Murphy now go forward to the second stage next month.

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