Magic of Mount Juliet likely to earn country second shot at tournament

Record crowds, temperatures in the mid-20s and some of the best golf ever witnessed on this island all contributed to the incredible publicity and spin-offs.

And the best news is Ireland is likely to host the event again in 2004. Bord Fáilte says a few loose ends have yet to be tied up but informed sources say the tournament will definitely be back. It is unclear which course will be chosen for the championship.

The competition and two practice sessions ran without a hitch. The stewards couldn't have been more helpful, the gardaí were brilliant.

Even world number one Tiger Woods struggled to find words to do justice to the immaculately presented course and the fans.

His commendation was music to the ears of Bord Fáilte chief Niall Reddy.

He said: "To get Tiger Woods to say anything costs millions. For him to commend Ireland off the cuff was simply amazing. We've seen the biggest crowds ever at a world championship here at Mount Juliet. It establishes Ireland as one of the world's premier golfing destinations."

Footage from the event was beamed into homes in 160 countries, Bord Fáilte director of golf Damian Ryan said. He commended American Express for its sponsorship of the event and said it'll be all hands on deck to ensure the 2006 Ryder Cup in Ireland is just as successful.

Back on the course, it quickly became apparent Tiger Woods should carry a Government health warning. Just before he teed off on Thursday an elderly man collapsed in the crowdAnd on Saturday, a buggy driver crashed into a barricade, injuring three fans. One suffered an ankle injury. Two others were also taken to nearby St Luke's HospitalAnd just as Tiger was about to putt on the 18th on Saturday evening, another elderly man slipped off his seat on the stand, crashing to the ground. Thankfully, the US star's round yesterday was incident-free.

And he was very appreciative of the Irish welcome: "I love coming here to fish. I think the people here are just so nice. They're so gracious. Its just a very relaxed atmosphere.

"They understand the etiquette of the game. You heard a couple of yahoos out there today and the fans got to them. Somebody had a cell phone and they got on them.

"That's what's different. They understand the game of golf. It's always a lot more enjoyable to play in front of people who understand the game." he continued.

And Tiger was delighted to meet DJ Carey, the country's number one hurler. The top Cat shadowed him as an honorary observer on Saturday. They'd had dinner on Thursday and DJ gave him a hurley and sliothar.

Tiger said: "We were mucking around, hitting around back at the room. We came close to taking out a window. It was pretty neat to have him explain how he does it. His wrist movement is unbelievable, how fast he can move it, even with a hurl in his hand. He's a great guy, real nice guy."

"He gave us a tape of the championship game and we're going to watch it as soon as we get a VCR."

Woods' bodyguard Joe Corless, a former FBI agent, is already itching to come back to Ireland.

He said: "My family comes from Galway and my wife's are from Cork. She was so envious when she heard I was coming over. I'm anxious to trace my Galway roots. Maybe we'll get a chance to come back soon."

And as the crowds spilled out of Mount Juliet last night, the tills were still ringing long and loud. Stocks of baseball capshad run out by early morning and the bottles of waterwere still selling. HB even had to make a special run for extra ice-cream.