Even the first reserve, Daren Lee, was in a good mood yesterday, despite failing to get a game at the J.P. McManus charity pro-am, the K Club last week, or at the Murphy's Irish Open the week before. All of the 44 professionals participating in Mr McManus's two-day event at Limerick Golf Club remained in resounding good health, in preparation for last night's farewell bash for 800 people at the Adare Manor.
Despite the sunshine, Jean van de Velde was making heavy weather as he refused to be overwhelmed by the autograph-hunters. "Give me two minutes," he said. "I'll hit it off and then I'll sign."
"It is extraordinary to get a world-class field of golfers. You could not get it for love nor money," Chris de Burgh said of the event.
It was the J.P. magic. "He has a special style that encourages people to give," Mr de Burgh added.
Eddie Jordan, together with Sir Alex Ferguson and the financier, Mr Dermot Desmond, was drawn to play with Paul McGinley. "Everybody wants to be here for J.P. because he puts so much into life and into Irish people abroad," he said.
But J.P. passed almost unnoticed among the 7,500 spectators, who were only there for the Tiger-watching.
Mr Woods continued to dominate the proceedings and won the tournament. He had a 36-hole aggregate score of 132, 12 under par. The team drawn to play with Woods - the jockey, Mr Christy Roche, Mr Tom Harty, a Nenagh farmer, and Mr Kieran McManus, son of J.P. - quickly learnt not to be intimidated by the crowd.
"I think they are afraid. I nearly took the head off one of them," Mr McManus, a business student, said.
Late additions to last night's auction were a trip to the Champions League at Old Trafford, courtesy of Sir Alex Ferguson, and a jewelled tiara donated by Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries. But top of the list was the round of golf with Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods, at Isleworth, Florida.
After £2.9 million was raised by the event five years ago, the figure of £5 million is being cited as a comfortable target to be reached. Proceeds will go to local charities.