NEITHER player made a particularly auspicious debut in the event, but Ian Woosnam and Colin Montgomerie will be welcome challengers for the £750,000 Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen on July 4th-7th. And a measure of changed times for Padraig Harrington is that he too is now considered to be a prominent addition to the field.

Woosnam had career earnings of less than £3,000 on the European Tour when he made his first appearance in the Irish Open at Portmarnock in 1980. After two rounds of 74 he missed the cut by a stroke, but the diminutive Welshman went on to achieve successive Irish Open triumphs at the same venue, in 1988 and 1989.

While Woosnam was gaining his first Irish Open victory, Montgomerie missed the cut on his debut in 1988. Since then, however, the Scot has gone on to make a significant impact on the tournament and was in a winning position at Mount Juliet last year before finishing tied fourth to compatriot Sam Torrance. Woosnam finished 12th.