Limerick is the centre of the golfing universe today as the star-studded JP McManus Pro-Am has gotten underway.
And of course Tiger Woods remains the brightest star of all. The 15-time major champion teed off at 2.05 pm to huge cheers from a raucous crowd that are revelling in 10 of the world's 11 best players playing at Adare Manor.
Prior to heading out onto the course to play alongside the Smurfit family, Woods spoke in glowing terms of Treaty native and tournament founder JP McManus.
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He beamed: "It's one of the few dates that we have to get together like this. We don't get a chance to see some of our brethren over here on the European Tour.
"They do come over to play in the majors but this is a totally relaxed atmosphere. It's all about about charity, having fun, and doing something for the local communities.
"What JP has done over the years has been truly remarkable. We're here to support him.
"It's pretty crazy isn't it (referring to the large galleries)? It was a lot easier when I was walking, so I don't know how the hell I'm going to to get my cart around here, so we'll see!"
Woods has been friends with McManus for a number of years and was filmed hugging him at Augusta back in April.
Despite amassing a huge business empire after humble beginnings as an on-course bookmaker, McManus has always shunned the spotlight - and as little is known about his social life as his business dealings.
Something similar could be said about Woods whose supreme golfing talents we learned from his 1997 runaway victory in the US Masters, but as far as his personal life went...well, it was a shop that few were allowed in.
Perhaps not so strange then that a chance meeting with McManus in Ireland in 1998 would see them - two men with intense, quiet ambition - getting on so well.
Woods went on to become the biggest name in the history of the sport and with it the introduction of appearance fees that for the American crept towards and eventually beyond the tournament's first prize.
One of McManus' side-projects, meanwhile, was the hosting of a pro-am event to raise money for charity.
What started quite inauspiciously in 1995 was always going to get bigger and bigger with McManus involved. And his drafting in of his friend Tiger for the 2000 edition, saw the event hit the headlines and soon everyone wanted to play.
Among the things that went up for auction after the golf was a round with Woods and his fellow professional Mark O'Meara - Joe Lewis, a billionaire financier, paid €1.78m for the privilege.
In 2004, Woods married Elin Nordegren at the Sandy Lane Hotel in Barbados which McManus owns with fellow Irish magnates Dermot Desmond and JP Magnier.
And the American also made a habit of turning up on an Irish links course on the eve of the Open Championship.
"We come together for JP and for him only," Woods said before playing the 2005 edition of McManus' tournament where charitable donations grew to €31 million.
If Woods was to ever skip his friend's event though it looked to be in 2010. The world number one was still under a barrage of media scrutiny after revelations of a string of extra-marital affairs.
But he turned up to support McManus' event, playing 36 holes, dealing with the media scrum, before taking his private jet back to Florida.
“JP is one of my dearest friends,"he said when congratulating the Limerick hurlers, who McManus sponsored, on their 2018 All-Ireland win.
"It’s cool his Limerick team finally won the title as I know how passionate he is about his hurling as well as his love of horse-racing and, of course, golf.
“I remember one year I was over for his Pro-Am and JP took me to a hurling match. I thought it was pretty neat but not a sport I would want to try (smiling).
“I try to keep in contact with him as much as our time allows but that’s great news for JP and Limerick and I’m really pleased for him as JP just does so much for sport in Ireland."
There were fewer more happy for Woods than McManus when the American returned to the pinnacle of the game at the 2019 Masters.
"I could feel the adrenaline running through me," the businessman told RTÉ 2fm's Game on . "It was something else. No matter how short the putt [to win it] was, you were always worried it might not happen! But knowing Tiger, it had to happen.
"This was one of the iconic moments in sport. People will remember where they were when Tiger won the Masters in 2019. It was the most remarkable comeback for a man who was beset by injuries; his strength of character and mind to do that, after being in the wilderness, or out of the limelight I should say, for a long time.
"He made some poor shots - not that many - but he never followed a poor shot with a mistake.
"It's just so special, and it's so good for golf."
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