Justin Rose looked to have made a good decision the way he started the Smurfit European Open today.
After missing out by one shot in the Open championship qualifier at Sunningdale on Monday the 23-year-old thought about pulling out of the trip to the K Club.
But 24 hours later he was on his way and two opening birdie putts of around 18 feet gave him the early lead in the £2million event.
Three places in the Open are up for grabs this week, as well as a huge amount of Ryder Cup points and for Rose to stay at home would have been a real admission of defeat after two weeks when he shot 15 over par both in the United States Open and French Open.
Playing the new Smurfit Course - the previous nine European Opens were all on the renamed Palmer Course the other side of the River Liffey - there were predictions of level par being a potential winning total this Sunday.
But despite a stiff breeze there were plenty of birdies in the first two hours of play. Playing with Rose, Nick Faldo also had one on the long 10th - their opening hole - but at the next he pushed his drive into sand and then caught the bank in front of him with his attempted recovery.
The ball travelled only 20 yards and he bogeyed the hole to go back to even par.
Ahead of them Colin Montgomerie, who came through a play-off at Sunningdale to ensure his presence on his home course Royal Troon in two weeks' time, began with a 14-foot birdie putt and remained one under after four.
Local favourite Padraig Harrington pitched to seven feet to kick off with a birdie, but the Dubliner three-putted the next and bogeyed the short 12th as well to slide to one over.
Retief Goosen, playing for the first time since his second US Open victory two weeks ago and admitting he would rather be having another week off, was among the later starters, as were Darren Clarke - debating whether to use a belly putter - and defending champion Phillip Price.