It will surprise nobody that Tiger Woods is set to break a 50-year-old scoring record on the USPGA Tour. Going into this weekend's Western Open at Cog Hill, Chicago, Woods had a scoring average of 68.25 for the season, which is some way clear of the tour benchmark of 69.23 set by Sam Snead back in 1950.

So, against that background, what sort of scoring should we expect from the world number one when he plays in the J P McManus International Pro-Am in Limerick next Monday and Tuesday? By using overall course-length as a decidedly crude yardstick, he should be shooting rounds of 62. This is based on Limerick's length of 6,386 yards against an average of around 7,000 for the USPGA Tour.

But the Woods visit is obviously about much more than scoring. It is about having a truly great golfer actually competing in this fair land, as opposed to the exhibition play of luminaries such as Jack Nicklaus who, it will be recalled, lost matches to Seve Ballesteros at Royal Dublin in 1986 and to Christy O'Connor Snr at Mount Juliet in 1991.

Before the second World War, Walter Hagen played exhibitions here at Clontarf, among other venues, and Gene Sarazen had a memorable visit to Carlow. But it wasn't until the 1960 Canada Cup at Portmarnock that the roll of honour became truly significant.

That was when Snead and Arnold Palmer formed a winning partnership for the US. As it happened, the Golfing Union of Ireland had requested that Ben Hogan and Snead should represent the US and when the Hawk declined the invitation, the last chance of having him in competitive action here had been lost. So, those Irish enthusiasts who had travelled to see him in the Canada Cup at Wentworth five years previously, could consider themselves blessed.

Portmarnock 1960 was also marked by an admission of regret from Bobby Jones at never having played in this country. In a piece contributed to the programme, he thought it especially unfortunate insofar as he happened to have been born on March 17th, St Patrick's Day.

Obviously Hogan's absence caused major disappointment but had he played, it would have been at the cost of Palmer, which would have been a great pity. Indeed his status in the game at that time was remarkably similar to that which Woods currently enjoys.

For instance, Palmer came here as the reigning US Open champion, fresh from his dramatic triumph at Cherry Hills. Also like Woods, he had captured three "majors" by that stage - the Masters of 1958 and 1960 being the other two. And had a world ranking system existed at the time, he would have been an automatic number one.

It may be stretching a point to compare events at Limerick with such a large, international undertaking as the Canada Cup in which Australia were represented by Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson; South Africa by Gary Player and Bobby Locke and Mexico by Roberto de Vicenco and Jose Gonzales. But the fact remains that Woods will be competing at Ballyclough, even if the top professional prize of £33,330 is decidedly modest by his standards.

And like those who were fortunate enough to see Hogan at Wentworth and Palmer at Portmarnock, there will be the lasting joy of having been there.

"Acting as your caddie, I could save you four strokes around this course today, by telling you what to do before each shot, rather than after." - Colin Montgomerie, informing the media of the importance of course management at The K Club this week.

The information trays in the media centre at The K Club this weekend contain two rather interesting hand-outs. Beside an announcement regarding the sponsorship by Buzzgolf.Com of the North West of Ireland Open at Slieve Russell, is a "calling notice" claiming to reaffirm "Scotland's Credentials as the Home of Golf."

In effect, it informed the assembled scribes that Colin Montgomerie will be supporting a new strategy for Scottish golf tourism to be announced next Tuesday at the Loch Lomond Invitational. Minister Jim McDaid smiled at the juxtaposition of the two items.

Referring to Scottish golf tourism, he said: "I've always thought of them as a sleeping giant on our doorstep and am constantly listening for rumbles from that direction. This is obviously one such rumble which will serve to sharpen our focus on what we must do to maintain our position in the market-place.

As a debut appearance in professional ranks, it answered most of the questions. Charles Howell, the latest sensation in American golf, shot rounds of 71, 67, 68, 68 for a share of 32nd place in the Greater Hartford Open last weekend. At the same time, his erstwhile college rival, Matt Kuchar, was missing the cut in the Murphy's Irish Open.

Howell turned professional early last week, having captured the NCAA individual and team awards with Oklahoma State. The move seemed to surprise everyone except Kuchar. "I suspected something like this might happen," said the former US Amateur champion, whose father, Peter, caddied for him at Ballybunion. "I think Chuck will do very well."

Through courtesy cars and hospitality activities, Renault Ireland have invested £100,000 in support of the Smurfit European Open this weekend.

But the company's chairman, Bill Cullen, is already looking towards pumping a considerably larger sum into the Ryder Cup in 2005, probably involving the parent company in France.

"Global exposure gives a huge dimension to the Ryder Cup," he said. "We want to become part of that package as an extension of our involvement here. But to do so, we would need the support from France and I am currently looking in that direction ." One suspects there are other leading Irish companies who would find the Ryder Cup similarly attractive.

This day in golf history . . . . On July 8th 1949, Bobby Locke captured his first British Open at Royal St George's, Sandwich, where rounds of 67 and 68, gave him a 12-stroke victory over Harry Bradshaw in a 36-hole play-off for the

title. Afterwards, Locke said graciously of his Irish opponent: "He is a grand fellow to play with, always first to congratulate you on a good shot. But I'm afraid he didn't have a chance in the play-off. I never made a slip."

The South African added: "He'll have his chance of revenge when we meet in the Irish Open at Belvoir Park next week." Which is what Bradshaw exacted as ascending rounds of 70, 71, 72, 73 (286) against 71, 75, 71, 70 (287), gave him a one-shot victory and top prize of £400. The Brad had set the target before heading off for what proved to be a celebratory cup of tea.

Teaser: A player searches for his ball in a bunker and in the process makes numerous footprints. He subsequently finds his ball. Before playing his stroke, may the player smooth the footprints?

Answer: No, such action would be a breach of Rule 13-4. However, there would be no breach if the player's caddie smoothed the footprints on his own initiative, provided that the smoothing did not improve the lie of the ball or assist the player in his subsequent play of the hole.