Seven-wood sets Smyth up nicely

Looking towards the 18th green, Des Smyth considered his second shot of 217 yards. He wasn't to know that it was almost exactly the same length as Bernhard Langer had faced two hours earlier, when setting up an eagle three. At first, he thought of using a three-iron, as Langer had done; then he changed his mind.

In a typically candid admission that will lift the spirits of club golfers everywhere, Smyth said afterwards: "I decided on a seven-wood because I felt it would be easier to hit." Then came a high-fade which held the ball on the right to left wind before it finished 10 feet from the pin.

Two putts later, Smyth had a closing birdie for a round of 69. And he seemed rather pleased with a new acquisition which replaced a five-wood in his bag, specially for this tournament. "I believe in doing whatever I think will give me a better chance of a decent score," he explained.

So the Callaway seven-wood, which he took delivery of here on Wednesday, became a key element of his first round armoury. He used it for a second shot of 220 yards at the difficult, 471-yard first; for a recovery from rough at the 450-yard ninth and then off the tee at the 466-yard 15th, where he smashed it 250 yards downwind.

In 1986, Smyth lost a play-off for this title to Rodger Davis. Now, at 46, he is delighted to be still around, 13 years on. "Wouldn't anybody be pleased to be playing good golf for big money on a wonderful course like this," he said rhetorically.

Several compatriots would certainly have empathised with that view, especially Paul McGinley and Damian McGrane, both of whom shot 77. It was quite a change for McGinley who was leading Irishman in 10th place last year. Eamonn Darcy decided to withdraw after a 79 for fear of aggravating back damage which became evident during the round.

But there was a much-welcomed shaft of light for Philip Walton, who has missed his last five cuts. A two-year contract with Yonex, which he signed earlier this week, clearly lifted his spirits in a round of 73 that was bogey-free for the last 10 holes. "Things are looking better - I feel I'm on the way back," he said afterwards.

Padraig Harrington three-putted three of the first nine holes for bogeys on the way to a disappointing 74. Particularly upsetting was that having got his score back to one over par with two to play, he finished bogey, par, taking four to get down from greenside rough to the left of the 17th.

Meanwhile, another Irishman is here with a decidedly different agenda. Gerry Byrne, who will be preparing the greens at The K Club for the Smurfit European Open over the August bank holiday weekend, wanted to see how the job was done at Wentworth.

Interestingly, the superb greens on the West Course are all humble meadowgrass. Which is precisely what Byrne is seeking in the longer term at The K Club, where the Ryder Cup will be staged in 2005. And according to Richard Stillwell, the European Tour's chief agronomist: "We are extremely impressed with Gerry's work so far."

Dubliner Peter Lawrie hit a hole-in-one at the Philippine Open in Manila yesterday that will see him drive away with a prize worth more than that for the winner.

The 25-year-old holed out with a seven-iron on the 193-yard 17th hole, his eighth of the second round, to win a $75,000 Jaguar XK8 car. The winner of the Asian PGA Tour event will earn $32,000.

Lawrie, in his first year on the tour, went on to hit a two-under-par 70 for a two round total of 143. It was Lawrie's first hole-in-one as a professional and just his second since he started playing golf as a youngster.

"When I was going to college in Ireland I used my sister's car and she kept saying that if I won one with a hole-in-one I would have to give her it - I will have to think about that," said Lawrie, who was Irish amateur champion in 1996.