They wouldn't dare admit it, but sighs of relief were almost palpable from the tournament organisers, when John Daly broke 70 in the £1.2 million Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen yesterday. His public profile certainly contrasted sharply with that of compatriot Craig Hainline, the first round leader on 65 - six under par.

In grey, sombre conditions, with a gentle breeze brushing this picturesque layout, Eamonn Darcy spearheaded the home challenge with an admirable 68, a stroke ahead of Daly. And he attributed his success to the help of an Englishman and some profound putting advice, unlikely to be found in any David Leadbetter manual.

It came from Christy O'Connor Jnr, who suspected his friend was spending too much time studying putts: "Stand over the ball and hit it," he said. "And if it doesn't go into the hole, hit it again." And it worked.

Then there was the advice of Gary Evans, the only player other than O'Connor whom Darcy would trust with help on one of golf's most idiosyncratic swings. "We got together a few years ago at Loch Lomond," said Darcy. "And last week at Slaley Hall, he suggested I take a shallower line into the ball." And that worked too.

A measure of the gentler conditions compared with 12 months ago, was that as many as 57 players broke par, as opposed to 24 in the corresponding round last year. But it remained a rather bleak day for the Irish, with Paul McGinley plummeting to a 79 while Jimmy Heggarty could do no better that a 76, despite a hole in one at the short eighth.

Perhaps they should have settled for a bad day, like course specialist Colin Montgomerie claimed to have had. "I was saved by some good putts and I'm going to the (driving) range," he said after a decidedly interesting 68. But there was no comfort for would-be rivals when he added ominously: "I feel the way I'm putting I can do well again, so I want to get it right, now."

Montgomerie certainly lent a fascinating dimension to the belief that really good golfers possess the ability to carve out a score while playing poorly. Two over par for his opening five holes, the big Scot went on to cover the last eight in five under par, finishing birdie, birdie, birdie, par, birdie.

A 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th, provided the spark for that closing run. And he followed it with a 15-footer at the next, before reaching the 535-yard 16th in two for a two-putt birdie. But the real bonus came at the 18th, where he carded an especially rare bird, by following a seven-iron approach with a raker from 40 feet.

It gave the Scot a best-of-the-day inward half of 31, while the most productive outward journey was a 30 from Peter Baker, who holed out a six iron for an ace at the 190-yard second, having started at the 10th. Meanwhile, Sven Struver illustrated the menace of the 465-yard 18th, even with wind assistance, when carding a finish of eagle, birdie, bogey.

While the general quality of the course was reflected in the scoring overall, one of the great strengths of Druids Glen is its capacity for punishing wayward striking. And for all his wild talk and volatile behaviour, Daly's shrewd golfing brain warned him to take care.

So, those who marvelled at his prodigious striking, might be interested to know that he was not giving it the full treatment but "about 85 to 90 per cent." In what circumstances, then, is maximum power unleashed? "When I'm really pissed off," came the reply.

The manner in which he negotiated a potentially punishing layout, suggested he could become a serious challenger for the title, rather than simply a captivating side-show. He certainly displayed a delightful putting touch on greens which have matured wonderfully since last year and are now devoid of irritating nap and susceptibility to severe spiking.

Meanwhile, it is hard to imagine anything less convincing than a club golfer proclaiming his delight at being out in God's good air, despite having knocked down his opening three drives. But Hainline has had good reason to appreciate that there are more important things than hitting a little white pill.

The 29-year-old, who happened to be in Houston, Texas at the time, was called to a Kansas hospital two weeks ago when his father had a heart attack. "He's doing very well but with him so close to death, it made me realise that golf's just a game," he said. "We take it so seriously yet it's not anything near as important as life itself."

In the circumstances, Hainline shot an exemplary, bogey-free round. And he could hardly have wished for a better start in that he birdied three of his opening four holes, having set off the 10th. Putts ranging from eight to 25 feet found the target, yet we shouldn't have been surprised, given his fifth-place finish here 12 months ago.

Indeed Hainline got to six-under-par, which proved to be the play-off target, at one stage of his closing round, but slipped back to a level-par 71 - three strokes too many. Now, like several Americans before him, including Corey Pavin, he plans to use his European experience for a challenge at the USPGA Tour qualifying school at the end of this year.

Darcy, who came into this tournament in good spirits having been third at The K Club last Monday, also had a sparkling start to his round. Indeed the value of Evans's advice was in evidence as early as the second where a beautifully-struck five-iron tee-shot finished no more than two feet from the pin for a birdie.

There were five birdies in his round and, perhaps in an acknowledgement of anno domini, he made no complaint about a three-putt bogey at the seventh. His other bogey was the product of a pulled drive at the dangerous 15th.

"I'm trying to adopt a low-key approach to the week," said the tournament professional at the host club. But one could sense his pride at flying the flag, nine years after his last European tournament victory. And being able, approaching his 47th birthday, to still trade shots with sharp young bucks, half his age.