JP McMANUS INVITATIONAL PRO-AM: Of course, the bottom line is that this event is all about raising money for charity. Still, if you assemble most of the world's top players in one place - as JP McManus has done for his Invitational Pro-Am at Adare Manor resort on the banks of the river Maigue, a layout described by Paul McGinley as "a jewel in the crown" of Irish courses - you have to expect that competitive juices will flow.
And such was the case yesterday as South Africa's Trevor Immelman - who had threatened only to deceive when jumping in to the first round lead of last week's Smurfit European Open - shot a course record eight-under-par 64 to assume the half-way lead in this 36-hole tournament that has a cast of players that would be the envy of any tournament director in Europe.
In a format that involved the professionals playing a shotgun start - one in the morning, the other in the afternoon - Immelman, who had never set eyes on the Robert Trent Jones Snr design beforehand, relied on the knowledge of his amateur partners - Bernard Duggan, John Hickey and Dan Duggan - in playing it blind.
"I played with some local guys who work in the glass industry. They'd won a qualifier and knew the course and showed me a round a bit," he said.
The upshot was that Immelman's flawless round of eight birdies and not a single dropped shot enabled him to establish a three-stroke lead over Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington.
Yet, it wasn't all plain sailing for everyone on a course that demonstrated a capacity to bite. As if Thomas Bjorn had not experienced sufficient anguish over the finishing stretch at the K Club on Sunday, the Dane experienced a quintuple-bogey eight on the par three 16th yesterday (on the way to a 79), although Gary Murphy fared just as poorly when also recording a quintuple-bogey eight, in his case on the sixth (in shooting an 82).
After missing the cut at the European Open, yesterday proved to be a far more rewarding outing for Harrington. The Dubliner shot a round of 67 that included a double-bogey on the seventh where he put his second shot into the lake that runs all the way up the right-hand side. But those were the only dropped shots, in a round that also featured seven birdies.
Three of those, from the second to the fourth, came courtesy of approach shots that were left stone dead.
In a way, this appearance is just what Harrington wanted in the build-up to next week's British Open at St Anrdews.
"Nobody could walk away from here thinking it has set them up for the Open," agreed Harrington. "People are here to relax and enjoy 36 holes of golf in good company, it's a bit of fun. These two days are not about preparation for the Open, (although) I think my mind's already turned towards St Andrews, certainly since I missed the cut at the European Open.
"I've been trying to get a little lower ball flight and am thinking a bit about the golf course. I've been running it through my head, thinking of what shots are being needed.
"To be honest, though, these two days are a bit of a break. They're a break for me particularly because I tend to get very intense about my golf. I'm the sort of person who always puts a lot in and tries a bit over the top at times. It is nice for me to come here and relax a little bit. This is time out. I was thinking about St Andrews the last couple of days and I will be thinking about it again from Wednesday on."
On a day of some fine scoring, some 20 professionals in the 56-man field broke par. Yet, arguably the scoring feat of the day was provided by the leading team of amateurs representing the St Gabriel's School for the Disabled in Limerick.
Playing with their professional Richard Green, who shot 69 on his own card, the team of Gerry McManus, Noel Nash and Denis O'Brien had a team nett score of 18-under-par 54.
