European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has been marvellous in the run-up to this week’s Ryder Cup accommodating and entertaining the media.

Now with less than a week before the start of the 2014 Ryder Cup McGinley has given further insight some of the issues he will be confronting this coming week.

Qn:  Is the tiredness and fatigue of many team members resulting from a heavy competitive schedule a concern?

McGinley:  “It’s obviously a concern. They’ve played a lot of golf.  It’s obvious;y a concern and I’ve talked through all the guys who played last week. Got great reads.

“None of them is overtaxed.  They all understand the importance of rest.  I didn’t need to tell them that. They’re all on top of it.

“A lot of them have gone home for a few days.  Henrik, for example, has gone back to Sweden, great back to their home environment, where they’re from, see the people they know. Just good for the soul, good for the heart. I like to see that.

“I think we’re going to be okay. I trust that they’re going to rest and relax, so what they need to do in order to be ready for next week.

Qn:   In 2006, Ian Woosnam remarked everyone would play the first day.  Will that happen this year?

McGinley:  “I haven’t made that firm a decision yet.  But I can assure you that everybody will play at least once before the Singles.

“It’s tough to get all 12 players out there on the first day is a tough challenge.  We did it in Medinah, and it was a big challenge. The Americans have done it in the last with mixed results.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.It’s up to me to weigh up that.

“I want to see the players on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the practice rounds before I can make that decision.  I have to assess them in terms of their game and psychologically as well. See where everybody is at before I make that decision along with the vice captains.

Qn:   Could some players play all five matches?

McGinley:  “Yes, again that’s a tough one.  I think only Larry Nelson has won five out of five. That was ‘way back when the Ryder Cup was a lot different to what it is now.

“It’s a big question.  You guys are asking the same questions that I am asking myself.  I don’t know, particularly the big players who have played a lot of golf recently. Can they play all five matches?  Obviously Rory will be the first to come into mind.  But the first question is, where is he going to be with tiredness?

“I don’t have a hard and fast rule.  I have a skeleton plan, but that plan must have flexibility.  Whatever happens during the week.

“If Rory is playing great there’s a good chance he will play all five, but it depends how fit he is and how mentally agile he is too.

You saw him in the last round of the Tour Championship last week where he dropped all those shots in the middle of the round, and you’re thinking, ‘oh God, Rory’s flagging and he’s going to finish down in fourth or fifth place.

“But he comes back and has all these birdies and finishes in second place.  It just shows you what you’re dealing with with Rory and what makes him as great as he is.

“I’ll make that decision on the ground.  All the players want to play five.

Qn: How is your own energy levels?

McGinley:  “Good.  I’ve been great. In the last two weeks I’ve had one date in the diary, one company day, other than that, apart from the picks, I’ve had nothing in the diary.

“I had family things.  I went to Ireland and watched the hurling final. I had no corporate things to do, I had a little bit of press but not very taxing in terms of time.

“I’ve been able to spend family time.  Two kids started a new school, that took family time, making sure they were bedded in right, going to see their new teachers.  That’s all good for me, taking me away from the Ryder Cup and into the big picture of life.  That will give me the freshness.

Qn:  Do you have a practice session plan in place?

McGinley:  “I have an outline plan, but I want to go over that with the players beforeI release that. I have a plan as how we are going to tackle the practice rounds.  I just want to share all that with the players first.

Qn:    What about the Gleneagles course set-up?

McGinley:  “It’s a European Tour set-up. Very similar to what Wales was in 2010, the rough heights similar to European Tour.  A lot of the run-offs were created by Jack Nicklaus.  I respected them, and made sure they are kept really well.

“I’d like to think Jack would come back and say,’yeah, that’s how I would have set up the golf course too.’  It’s a golf course that will reward good play.

“There’s rough there, no doubt and it’s quite thick, but I’d like to think it will be like for a general European Tour set-up. What might make it a bit thicker is the weather in the last few weeks. I know they’ve had some rain, a lot of heat, and fertilizer put down as they always do.

“But I haven’t specifically gone out to make the rough very thick.  I haven’t gone out to tighten fairways.  I’ve respected and tried to think how Jack would want a particular hole to be played.

“I’d like to think I’ve been very respectful to how he set up the course and how he designed it. Three grades of rough.”

Qn:   Have you asked any sports psychologists or motivators to come to Gleneagles?

McGinley:  “Nothing.  My view is along the lines I have a bunch of players coming in, for me to try and mould together. I don’t have a wide window of time, so for example Rory’s trainer is going to be there. Rory will he sticking with his team for the week.  I haven’t tried to complicate it. All these guys are coming in as part of the team.

“Interesting talking to Martin Kaymer, the German team at the World Cup had 33 people behind the scenes.  That was very interesting to find out, but we are nowhere near that number.  In fact we won’t be even half that number, but it just shows you what goes into top level sport.

Qn:    In 2010 Gareth Edwards spoke in the team room.  Are you going to have someone along that line?

McGinley:  “There will be an element of that, it will be somebody you’ll all know.

Qn:  “Have you given thought to two weeks down the line and when the Ryder Cup is all over?

McGinley:  “I’ve lots in place to be honest. I’ve got a little business portfolio of companies that I’m involved in, which is going well. I’m going to have a bigger involvement in that going forward.

“I’m really keen to get back playing my golf again. It really itched me to be at Celtic Manor at the start of this week but not playing.

“I’ve been top 10 in the last two years there in the Welsh Open but I knew that I couldn’t play this week because I need to be fresh for Gleneagles.

“It’s not about me, my golf is not the priority right now. All the challenges that previous captains told me about what the role does to your game has been proved to be absolutely correct.

“Last year I coped with it pretty well but this year has been a different story. My game has actually been quite good but I haven’t been at it mentally. I haven’t had the bite, I haven’t had the concentration levels that you need to play top level golf. My mind hasn’t been clear enough to play.

“That’s why I’ve really taken a back seat with my golf. I got injured in the middle of summer too which was a blessing in disguise to be honest because it gave me time to come away and do a bit more things that I needed to do – keep my eyes on things that were important.

“Everything is geared towards the Ryder Cup but my life doesn’t all of a sudden stop after that. I have entered the Dunhill Links, I haven’t decided if I’ll play or not because I want to wait and see how I feel. But I’ve always enjoyed that tournament.”

Qn:      Are you expecting too much if Rory at 25 years of age is to lead the team?

McGinley: “One thing that Rory has proved is that he’s comfortable with being favourite. He was the favourite going into the USPGA at Valhalla and he won.

“I know it can be argued that at the start of the week everyone was talking about Tiger and forgot about Rory. But as the week went on and the Tiger story died the big focus was on who’s going to win the PGA and it was quite clear there was one outstanding favourite who was right at the top of the leaderboard.

“And he relished that and finished the job, just like he did at the Open Championship too. He relished the fact he was going out in the last round with a lead he had to defend.

“So one thing Rory has proved in his career is that he’s comfortbale being the lead man. He’s going to have a role in the Ryder Cup, I haven’t yet crystalised exactly what that role will be but my communication with Rory will determine that. I want his feedback first and I don’t want to tax him with all that until he gets to Gleneagles because it’s important to rest and forget about all Ryder Cup stuff.

“Then we can have a chat next week when we hit the ground.

“My conversations with Rory over the last 18 months have been aboslutely brilliant. I haven’t over-communicated with him, I’ve given him lots of space. But when we have communicated he has been so into what I’m saying and so into giving me feedback.

“He’s a guy I really respect, forget about all his golf, I really respect the way he has respected me in my role as captain.

“It’s essential from me as a captain to get that feedback from our top player.

Qn:  Padraid Harrington went into Valhalla in 2008 also as the Open Champion and PGA winner but played awful.  Can he help Rory?

McGinley:  “I don’t think Padraig will be giving Rory lessons or telling him what to do. Not that they don’t get on but they are two different animals, two different attitudes and personalities.

“There will be other roles where Padraig is going to be great for this team and I’m looking forward to working with him. I know he’s going to bring a big element to the backroom because he has views and ideas on everything and I’m looking forward to hearing that.

“Padraig will come from left field, there will be things that he’s going to contribute that I haven’t seen. I’ve got five assistants in place but the big dynamic for me is that four of them have done it before. I don’t have to put a lot of effort into settling guys into a vice captain’s role because I’ve got four guys who will hit the ground running and know exactly what to do and I’m very familiar working with.

“Padraig is obviously going to come into that and will bring a strong element, but in terms of advising Rory that’s not going to be job.

“It’s a different dynamic because Rory likes to be number one while Padraig always relished being the underdog. They come from different situations, it’s not comparing apples with apples.

Qn:  How important is it to integrate the caddies this week?

McGinley:  “It’s huge. Caddies are becoming increasingly close to the players. Look at the relationship that Graeme, Rory and Justin have with their caddie – there’s a friendship there that’s a lot more than employer/employee relationship.

“It’s a kinship, they have dinner together, sometimes they room together. It’s a very different dynamic and a very strong one that I will be respecting by having the caddies very much part of it.

“I know the players are comfortable with them so they will be in the team room at the golf course. They won’t be in the team room at the hotel at night though – we don’t have enough alcohol for them!”

Qn:  We’ve seen Kirk and Horschel play well after qualifying ended and then Paul Casey won last week. It is feasible to leave the wildcard announcements to later for future Ryder Cups?

McGinley:  “I think we’re pretty good with our team. Paul Casey nearly showed form during the summer and I was trying to encourage him because he’s been a great Ryder Cup player, he has produced. He was phenomenal in the Seve Trophy last year, just awesome. I’ve played in teams with him so I know what he can bring. He’s a big player with a great record around Gleneagles – there’s a lot of things that Paul Casey could have brought to the table. But he needed to show form and unfortunately that form came too late.

“But I  think we’re in good shape and certainly think we should be very happy with the 12 players that we have in place.

“The Americans can do what they want with their system and the new captain, whoever he may be, will have an input as to whether he wants to change it. But I think it’s worked in the past and it’s worked again this year because we have 12 players there who can strongly represent us.”

*  All photographs -www.golffile.ie.