The "no cameras" rule was openly flouted on the first day of the J.P. McManus golf pro-am as thousands of spectators craned their necks to view the rare creature who stretched languorously, checked the wind direction and went for the eagle.
"I didn't know he was black," one woman said after seeing Tiger Woods play another effortless shot at Limerick Golf Club. He broke the club record by three shots with an eight under par.
Despite the presence of 43 other golf professionals, including Robert Allenby, Mark O'Meara, David Duval and Lee Janzen, it was Tigermania, with what seemed like 5,000 of the 7,000 spectators following the world's number one golfer around the 18 holes.
It was all a little unreal, particularly for the amateurs who were drawn to play with Woods - Mr Alan Smurfit, Mr Michael Smurfit jnr and Mr Pat Moore, chief financial officer of Smurfit USA. With handicaps of 23, 17 and 21, they could only relax and enjoy the game, for which they paid £40,000 to play over the two days.
In intermittent sunshine and a strong wind, there were plenty of "fores" being shouted and mutterings of insurance as golf balls seemed to seek out the crowds edging in on the fairways. Woods was oblivious to it all as he played a flawless round, acknowledging that the wind had made the course challenging.
"It was just a fun, relaxing event," he said, and a way to ease into next week's British Open at St Andrew's while getting used to the time change and the windy conditions. As well as fitting in some fly-fishing, Woods will attend a commemoration ceremony for the late Payne Stewart in Waterville, Co Kerry, tomorrow.
Mr McManus, on home turf a quarter of a mile from where he grew up, said that after the long preparations, it felt very satisfying. Five years ago the event raised £2.9 million for local charities, which could be doubled this time. Top on the auction list at tonight's banquet in the Adare Manor Hotel will be a round of golf with Woods and O'Meara at the Isleworth Country Club, Florida.