Bitten by The Snake, as the infamous 13th is known locally, John Daly seemed destined for an early departure from the £1.2 million Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen yesterday. But the mercurial American found an antidote three holes later to make good on handsome appearance money by surviving into the weekend.

It is a measure of Daly's enormous appeal that he could command so much attention late in the day, while the leaderboard was dominated by Phillip Price and Denmark's Soren Hansen on 10 under par.

And as Eamonn Darcy remained Ireland's top challenger in a share of third place, he was in the august company of Colin Montgomerie, on seven under par.

Monty now has ominously impressive figures of nine under par for his last 31 holes, having been woefully at odds with one of his favourite courses when he covered the opening five holes on Thursday in two over. "My chipping and putting has saved me," he said, while contemplating the disturbing prospect, for him, of a protracted session on the practice ground.

When the cut was made on level par - five strokes lower than last year - only three Irishmen survived. But there was special merit in the effort of sponsor's invitee Richard Coughlan, who got through only after a severely testing 15-footer for birdie on the last.

Prior to this visit, Daly had more than his share of notoriety in the US, especially at the Memorial Tournament where he six-putted the 18th for a 10 before withdrawing, and in well-documented trouble at Pinehurst. So, he could be forgiven for feeling persecuted right now.

Anyway, a three-ball which also included Seve Ballesteros and Paul McGinley had some interesting moments on the eighth tee. After a spectator had been struck by the Spaniard's drive, Daly was about to tee-off when a woman slipped closeby. Reflecting on both incidents, he later remarked: "I thought to myself, did I cause all this shit."

His survival reflected not only thrilling skills, but an admirable determination to do himself justice. One over par for the round, he stood on a forward tee at the 13th, wondering what to hit. Eventually settling on a five-iron, he came over the top of it, sending it left of the intended line. To his horror, it sailed about 230 yards and into trees on the opposite hill.

From there, Daly got a free drop because his backswing was impeded by a spectator fence. And after pitching onto the fairway, he missed the green right with a nine-iron third shot and later chipped and two-putted for a six. Now he was one over par for the championship and clearly in danger of missing the cut.

Unlike recent weeks, however, there was a willingness to try to heal the self-inflicted wound. After a superb par at the next, where he visited two bunkers, he went on to eagle the 535-yard 16th, reducing it to a drive, seven-iron and a 10-foot putt. "I knew I had to make a birdie there and I hit the putt a little more aggressively than I intended," he said.

"I'm proud of myself for the way I hung in there," he said. "I did the best I could, and with the greens as good as they are, who knows what might happen if I can get the putter going like I did on Thursday." Meanwhile, one could almost hear a rustling sound in the background of the sponsors getting off their knees.

Darcy had even greater cause for pride, having satisfied the expectations of an enthusiastic gallery with a fine 67. "Take this game too seriously, and it'll put you in an early grave," he said, by way of lowering the tempo for what is certain to be a testing weekend. But he was confident enough to add: "My swing is pretty good right now and great things could happen from here. We'll see."

After starting on the 10th, he produced exemplary play when carding six birdies, including three-in-a-row from the first. And indicative of excellent concentration was a four-iron to five feet for a birdie at the 203-yard 17th, directly after his playing partner, Thomas Bjorn, had holed in one with the same club.

In the event, Darcy went on to bogey the sixth and seventh - his 15th and 16th. The first of these was caused by being hit in an eye by a wasp as he was hitting a two-iron second shot. And ironically, the other resulted in a bunkered two-iron tee-shot at the 405-yard seventh.

Hansen had his eight-iron to thank for much of the magic he produced. It delivered an eagle two on his opening hole, where the ball sailed 150 yards into the cup at the first; he also used it to set up a birdie at the fourth and hit it virtually dead for another birdie at the 166-yard eighth.

Price, a 32-year-old beneficiary of coaching introduced by the Welsh Golf Union about 15 years ago, carded a splendid, bogey-free 65. And he seemed none too concerned afterwards with the fact that he was being regularly outdriven by as much as 20 yards by playing partner Montgomerie.

"Keeping it straight is the key," was his simple explanation.

Which goes some way towards explaining his 36 holes without a bogey.