Something is badly needed to change the mood with I'm A Celebrity over and Christmas still a couple of weeks away. Thankfully the very thing looms large on the horizon as the Paddy Power World Darts Championship blasts into action at Alexandra Palace in London

While some of golf's leading lights have thrown the sticks into the garage for the festive period, many others are in action this week in exotic places

Manchester United and Everton fans will have been punching the air on Sunday night when Coleen Rooney brought home the bacon to her fellow camp-mates in the Australian jungle, especially after dreary draws for both clubs earlier in the weekend

After 45 events across 26 countries, the curtain will come down on another rollercoaster of a DP World Tour season in Dubai on Sunday afternoon, and Rory McIlroy is very likely to be crowned the tour’s top dog for the third successive season

When the list of winners reads Patton Kizzire, Kevin Yu, Matt McCarty and JT Poston, it’s not hard to see that the big stars have been staying away from smaller events across the USA

International breaks can often offer a little bit of respite, some calm between the storms. The WhatsApp groups full of Liverpool supporters tend to be a bit quieter, with most members hoping for the same outcome for a couple of matches at least

One swing later, and the faithful Titleist was in a watery burn no more than a metre wide, leading to a triple-bogey six and a glum face heading in for a pint

I’ve been in love with the Champions League at various stages down the years with, off the top of my head, 1999 and 2008 perhaps my favourite renewals of the competition

Scottie Scheffler will go to post as leader in the FedEx race, but his six wins on the tour – plus on Olympic gold medal – only equate to a two-shot head-start in the current system

The Norwegian has 63 goals in 66 Premier League games, and dominates the top goalscorer market ahead of the new campaign at 8/11

Despite finishing last season like a house on fire – in the Premier League at least – there is more of a sense of vulnerability surrounding Pep Guardiola’s team than at any other stage in their historic run of success

World number three McIlroy described himself as a ‘nearly man’ after coming up short in his quest for a medal when fifth at the Olympics, missing out on bronze by two shots thanks to a visit to the water at the 15th on the final day, which came on the back of five successive birdies

To prevail in the Championship, durability is normally as important as quality, although last season class did rise to the top, with the three teams relegated from the top flight – Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton – finishing in the top four

We can look towards the final Major of the season in good fettle, with Robert MacIntyre coming good on a 33/1 tip in front of his adoring home galleries at the Genesis Scottish Open

He has bounced back in spectacular fashion before, and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that McIlroy finds himself holding silverware come Sunday afternoon