HE COULDN’T control the weather but JP McManus still secured record crowds at Adare Manor Golf Club in Co Limerick yesterday where up to €30 million was raised for a host of charities at the invitational pro-am.
Intermittent heavy downpours failed to prevent nearly 80,000 spectators attending the exclusive golf resort over the past two days.
Such was the volume of traffic that an extra car park had to be opened up in a field adjacent to the 12th hole.
This was the fifth year of the charity golf tournament which has raised €55 million for charities in the midwest region since 1990.
Among the celebrities who took to the fairways again yesterday were film stars Michael Douglas, Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant and Kyle MacLachlan, along with 12 of the world’s top 15 golf pros.
Tiger Woods was again the main attraction and hundreds of fans arrived from early morning eager to catch a final glimpse of the top golfer.
At the ninth hole, the autograph hunters finally got their way as more than a dozen children broke through the cordons and secured signatures.
The 14-time major winner also signed autographs for a group from St Vincent’s Centre in Lisnagry, whom he met while walking back to the clubhouse.
Fr Simon Sleeman, a monk from Glenstal Abbey and a friend of JP McManus, had the enviable job of driving the world number one’s golf buggy yesterday. Former Irish amateur Arthur Pierse was caddy for the day.
Speaking at a press conference, Tiger Woods, who took a five- month break from golf following revelations about his personal life, he “couldn’t have asked for a better return” to the game in terms of playing in Europe.
“That’s been the nice thing about playing and competing. I have a lot of friends out there and it’s nice to see a lot of my friends that I haven’t seen in a while, especially my touring pros.”
Asked if golf seemed trivial given all he has been through recently, he said: “Well, golf is something that I’ve done for a very long time, and there are times in one’s life when things get put into perspective – one being when my father passed and obviously what I’ve been going through lately.”
Unlike many of the other pros who competed at the pro-am, Tiger Woods flew back to the US yesterday and did not stay to practise ahead of next week’s 150th British Open at St Andrews.
“I need to get home . . . to see my kids,” he said.
When asked about why he made one of his shortest ever trips to Europe, he said he did it for his “great friend” JP McManus.
“JP has meant a lot to my life and I truly believe in what he’s doing to help others and that’s why I’m here,” he said.
Asked if matters in his personal life had been sorted, he said “everything is working itself out”.
When asked if the pro-am would be staged again in 2015, Mr McManus said it was too early to be making those decisions.
“I’ve enjoyed myself and the adrenaline is very high at the minute, but these aren’t times to be making those decisions, but someday we will, God willing.”
Mr McManus refused to comment on how much money was raised at this year’s event. However, sources were hopeful up to €30 million would be raised.
Even the bad weather had its advantages, with more than 220 branded umbrellas being sold in less than 40 minutes during the first shower.