Odds on even or better get Irish in the swing

DARREN CLARKE and Pádraig Harrington were at odds at The K-Club yesterday but only about the likely winning score in the €3.3m Smurfit European Open that gets underway over the splendid new South Course today.

Clarke declared he would accept level par "here and now". Informed that 25/1 was available for level par or worse to land the first prize of €550,000, he insisted: "That's a great bet. The course will definitely be the winner this week. The rough is thick, the wind is going to be the same strength as this all week, if not stronger, so it will be tough to make birdies and easy to make bogeys."

While accepting that the 7,313 yards Arnold Palmer-designed lay-out was a severe test in the prevailing conditions of strong, gusting winds and squally showers, Harrington reasoned that "they've gone soft on us".

He said: "The greens are perfect. They could make them as fast as they want but they are a very reasonable pace and I would envisage that they won't go too extreme with the set-up tomorrow.

"The course stands up for itself. It doesn't need any trickery. It will be a good test and today was ideal."

A tournament blessed with a great field, prestigious title and outstanding course promises four fascinating days.

Recent US Open winner Retief Goosen makes his first appearance since his victory at Shinnecock Hills and among the past champions in contention are holder Phillip Price, Lee Westwood, Michael Campbell and Clarke. Throw in previous winners this season like Graeme McDowell, Scott Drummond and Joakim Haeggman and the young guns, people with a point to make after recent poor performances like Justin Rose, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, and the prospect is for a terrific contest.

Given the severity of the weather, it can be taken as read that the European Tour officials Andy McFee and Paul Carrigill will see it like Harrington and set up the course in as sympathetic a manner as possible. Hopefully they won't overreact as happened in 2000 at Ballybunion, when pro-am conditions caused them to simplify the great links to a ridiculous extent.

Harrington, who yesterday renewed his lucrative contract with the mobile phone company 02, argued: "I thought yesterday that level par would be good for the four days, especially with the first three expected to be tougher. Even more than yesterday, the tee boxes at the holes into the wind are at the front of the back tees.

"So it was set up easier today. 25/1 for par or worse to win? No. Under par will win this tournament but the reality is that not many will do it.

"It's like the US Open. Four under won there. Somebody will do it and break par in weather like today."

He agreed that one way to breed major winners (something not achieved by a European since Paul Lawrie at the 1999 British Open) was serious tests week in, week out.

"We probably need to set the courses up a little differently," he mused.

"If you hit a shot through a green here, it stops and you hit a lob wedge. When you miss a green at the US Open, you walk up there knowing you can take one of six clubs. They should use more imagination. Every slope that runs away is cut very tight. Bring back the skill. You chilli-dip it and leave it there. You hit a putt and it comes back down to your feet. I would like to see more imagination around the greens."

The only Irishmen to win a title on home soil in recent times were Darren Clarke in this tournament over the North Course in 2001 and John O'Leary in the Irish Open in 1981.

It's a poor record and one that Harrington, Clarke, Paul McGinley and in-form Graeme McDowell could improve on over the next four days.