European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley confessed he’s not God and can’t be expected to be looking every moment over the shoulder of the likes of Rory McIlroy as they strive to qualify for his Gleneagles side.
Despite letting slip victory last Sunday in Abu Dhabi, McIlroy continues to rekindle the form that earned his team caps in the past two Ryder Cups.
Paul McGinley admits he’s ‘not God’ and can’t be looking over the shoulders of ever player trying to make his Gleneagles team. (Photo – Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)
While McIlroy has remained at Number 7 in the world following his joint second place finish in Abu Dhabi, the effort has seen him jump to two places to seventh overall on the European Team points table.
And while McGinley’s naturally delighted with McIlroy’s continuing return to form the Dubliner reaffirmed he has to look to the bigger European Team picture and not be focussed on the week-to-week efforts of just one individual.
“It’s alright to say that Rory was always going to show good form however the middle of last summer you would not have been saying that and you wouldn’t have been so confident.
“The question we were all asking mid last year was ‘is Rory ever going to recover?’
“I was asked that question a few times last year but anyone who knows this game, knows we all have ups and downs no matter who they are.
“It’s doesn’t matter whether it is Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy or no matter who they are.
“McRory was on a continuous streak of good things happening such as winning Majors and it’s inevitable he was going to have a downturn but then I’m sure he’ll have a blimp again at some time in the future because that is the nature of this game.
“You just don’t ‘have it’ forever no matter who you are.
“I remember reading a great article about Lee Trevino – entitled ‘What God held back from the greats’. The article was based along what I just said because just when you think you have it, it’s gone again and then you find it again. So that’s just the nature of the game.
“I’m just hoping that towards the end of this year most of the Europeans looking to make the team are peaking rather than being in a trough.
“So I won’t be talking with Rory as I was appointed Ryder Cup captain, not God! So I can’t around telling people how to run their lives.”
While McIlroy has returned to the Els Club in Dubai to continue working on his game, McGinley will tee-up in Wednesday’s starting Commercial Bank Qatar Masters focusing on replicating the form that earned him a top-10 finish in Abu Dhabi.
And McGinley revealed he has his final European Team outfit meeting in London next Monday with golf clothing manufacturer, Glenmuir.
