With No. 1 at stake this week, Tiger shoots 7-over in pro-am

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ADARE, Ireland (AP) -- Another continent, the same out-of-form Tiger Woods.

The world's No. 1 golfer arrived Monday in Ireland just hours after his 46th-place finish at the AT&T National in Pennsylvania. His appearance at the two-day charity J.P. McManus Invitational Pro-Am in County Limerick -- an unranked event featuring Hollywood celebrities and Irish billionaires -- was his first overseas event since 2009.

Woods is seeking to rediscover his form before next week's British Open at St. Andrews, the venue for two of his three British Open victories, in 2000 and 2005. But he could lose his top ranking before then.

The No. 2-ranked Phil Mickelson, who missed a chance to become No. 1 at the U.S. Open, gets another opportunity at the Barclays Scottish Open this weekend at Loch Lomond, which Woods has decided to skip.

Mickelson needs to win or finish alone in second at Loch Lomond to take over the No. 1 spot that Woods has held for the last 265 weeks. He has played in the event six times and has two top-10 finishes, including second in 2007 when Gregory Havret beat Mickelson in a playoff.

While more than 40,000 Irish golf fans offered him a friendly and forgiving welcome, Woods' opening round of 7-over at the 7,463-yard, par-72 Adare Manor Golf Resort was mostly dreadful. He bogeyed six holes, double-bogeyed the 5th, and managed a lone birdie on the 17th.

He followed that up by gamely trying to reach the green on the 18th -- a 548-yard par-5 on the far side of the River Maigue -- in two. His risky second shot fell short into the cat-tails for a final bogey, the third time he had found water in his round.

A car parked on the edge of the 18th green whisked Woods away to a helicopter for his overnight stay at the Limerick mansion of the billionaire McManus, an Irish horse breeder, gambler and speculator extraordinaire.

Every five years, McManus brings together mixed groups of pros, Irish business leaders and Hollywood celebrities for an event expected to raise more than ?30 million ($37 million) for dozens of Irish charities.

This year's celebrity golfers include actors Michael Douglas, Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Aidan Quinn, Kyle MacLachlan and Peter Gallagher; English Premier League football coaches Harry Redknapp and Martin O'Neill; and Irish boyband Westlife.

At the end of Monday's first round, Jim Furyk and John Cook of the United States, Peter Hanson of Sweden and Rory Sabbatini of South Africa were in a four-way tie for the lead, each 1 under par. Woods trailed in joint 48th place in the field of 54 pros. The amateurs' scores weren't recorded.

Woods was matched up with no major celebrity teammates Monday. One in his foursome, silver-haired Swiss banker Bernard Droux, played more consistently than Woods, who offered him compliments after his precise approach shots and solid putts.

Woods, by contrast, struggled with his short game, repeatedly striking the ball too softly or narrowly hooking putts wide. He also accidentally struck a spectator with his tee shot on the par-5, 551-yard 12th. The ball landed in front of the spectator, bounced into his head and ricocheted back into the fairway. The spectator wasn't seriously hurt.