European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley is staring at two to three months on the side line as he overcomes a nagging shoulder injury.
McGinley will lead Europe into the defence of the Ryder Cup against a Tom Watson captained USA Team in late September at Gleneagles in Scotland.
However the Dublin-born golfer is struggling with a bout of Bursitis in his left shoulder that has seen him withdraw before teeing-up in last week’s French Open near Versailles and then miss the cut after two rounds of the Scottish Open in Aberdeen.
McGinley is next due to compete in the August 7th commencing PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky and under the customary invitation afforded by the PGA of America to each opposing captain.
Paul McGinley and good friend Paul McGinley competing in last week’s French Open pro-am and a day before McGinley withdrew from the tournament proper. (Photo – David Lloyd/www.golffile.ie)
However McGinley will not decide whether to accept the competitor’s invitation into the final Major Championship of the year until after next week’s family holiday.
“I didn’t play that badly these two days here in Scotland despite my preparation being poor because of my shoulder,” he said after a score of 73 to miss the cut with a five over par total.
“But I am not going to have to seriously consider what I am going to do the rest of the summer because I’ve been told my shoulder needs two to three months rest if I am going to get rid of it.
“I am now going on a family holiday and I will assess that.
“I am due to play the PGA Championship given I was afforded an invitation, but I will see where I am at with my shoulder after the holiday.
”But then it’s more about preparing for the tournaments I’ve entered and that’s what I have been missing this year.
“For example, I arrived here at Royal Aberdeen at 8am on Tuesday but I didn’t see the golf course to 2.15pm for the Pro-Am on Wednesday as there is so much other stuff going what with the Ryder Cup and needing treatment on my shoulder.
“But then when I do get onto the golf course, I feel as though I am playing a lot of good golf.
“I’ve also got two of my children leaving school this week to move into senior school, so that’s all kicking off at home and it’s not just all Ryder Cup.”
Earlier in the week McGinley signed a 12-page Ryder Cup agreement that sets out in minute detail virtually everything pertaining to the Ryder Cup.
However it was not till officials of the European Tour went through the 12 pages that McGinley signed the document.
“I’ve had the likes of John Paramour, Andy McFee (Chief Referees) and other Tour staff going over the agreement for some time, so everything is now in place,” he said.
“The document covers everything dealing with the Ryder Cup and it’s virtually no different to other team agreements with the only difference it’s been written to suit Gleneagles.”
