Big game hunter JP snares Tiger
The list of 54 tour pros is literally a roster any pro tour would die for, with 12 of the game’s top 15 ranked players committed to playing in Adare Manor over two days next month.
“I am very happy to be joining this outstanding field,” Woods said. “Like my own foundation, I understand the importance and necessity of raising funds to help deserving individuals. This tournament does just that.”
Notwithstanding McManus’s unique relationship with many of the world’s top players, the fact that every cent raised goes straight to charities in the mid-west is one that sits very favourably with the players.
The once-every-five-years event is unique in its scale and attractiveness to the biggest names in the game. Unbelievably, there’s a waiting list of tour pros hanging on an invite.
On its last staging in 2005, the tournament raised over €30 million for nominated charities.
JP has always been quietly confident that Tiger would once again stand by his commitment to travel to Limerick for the event – one of only three planned trips to Europe this season.
McManus has told in the past how a commitment Woods made in 2001 to the invitational four years later in 2005 never had to be revisited. “If you’re asking, I’m coming,” Woods famously told his close friend.
“We are delighted Tiger has agreed to include the tournament in his schedule,” JP said last night. “Tiger has been a tremendous supporter of our endeavours to raise funds for causes in the region and I am sure everyone will appreciate his participation and give him a great Irish welcome on his return to Adare.”
Though Woods is the icing on the cake, the list of pros committed to the pro-am is a who’s who of the game: Westwood, Furyk, Poulter, Els, Donald, Casey, McIlroy, Allenby, Harrington and Villegas.
They may hog the attention of the golfing anoraks but celeb-spotters will be eyeing Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Douglas, Hugh Grant, Kyle MacLachlan and Westlife. Of course, the gallery of stars is a means to an end – the aim is to sell 30,000 golf caps at €50 a head, and with less than a month to the tournament, 24,800 entrance caps have been sold. The final push to sell the last 5,200 kicks in now.
The “two-day entrance cap” for the 36-hole tournament can be purchased in eight different coloured caps representing Ireland, Munster Rugby and each of the six Munster counties. At €50 each they can be bought from www.jpmcmanusproam.com or at selected retail outlets.
nThe Irish Examiner will publish a weekend magazine special on the JP McManus Pro-Am on Saturday, June 26.
