Paul McGinley will head to Brazil and the Olympics Game host course next month in a first step to delivering two golfing gold medals to Ireland.
McGinley will captain the Ireland men’s and women’s team when the golf’s returns to the Summer Olympics in August later this year.
Four-time Major winning Rory McIlroy is assured of spear-heading the Irish men’s team and with his partner for competition from August 11-14 to be either Shane Lowry or Graeme McDowell.
World No. 1 ranked amateur Leona Maguire along with Stephanie Meadows, third two years ago in the U.S. Women’s Open, will pull on the Irish colours for the women’s event running from August 17-20.
McGinley plans to travel from Miami to Rio de Janeiro on March 6th and straight after his SKY TV commentary commitments at the WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral.
“I’ve got three days in Rio inspecting the accommodation for the Irish players and then also looking over the golf course, along with the distance between the two venues and basically just getting my head around everything,” he said.
“It’s going to be a whole lot different in terms of being a Ryder Cup Captain and nowhere near the scale of the preparations that went into Gleneagles.
“Given golf is a new sport for the Irish Olympic Council I see my role is establishing a platform in going forward and especially laying a foundation if golf become a permanent Olympic sport.
“Basically, I am an in-between guy between the golfers and the Irish Olympic Council and trying to make it all as seamless as possible for all the Irish players.
“So I won’t be a captain in the Ryder Cup captaincy sense but then having said that the players still will have to be prepared and that I give them the best opportunity to bring home a medal, and hopefully it is a gold medal, back to Ireland.
Of course, McGinley knows McIlroy, Lowry and McDowell well and revealed he spent time over the recent Christmas break meeting up with Maguire and Meadows.
The Gil Hanse designed Olympic Games host venue in Rio.
“I had met Leona and Stephanie before I was appointed Irish Captain but then it was good to catch up with them and have a great talk with them both over Christmas,” he said.
“As for the Ireland men’s team, Rory is certain to qualify while the second member of team is being hotly contested but then with qualifying concluding at this year’s Open Championship there is still a long way to go before we know the make-up of both the men’s and women’s teams.”
One of the two walking beside Paul McGinley at the 2014 Ryder Cup is assured of competing in Brazil later this year. (Picture Eoin Clarke, www.golffile.ie)
McGinley has been to the Olympics just once as a spectator to the 2012 London Olympics while he’s never previously travelled to Brazil.
“As a lover of sport I am looking forward to seeing all the other Irish athletes and residing with them in the Olympic Village, and also watching and learning from all the other Irish team captains,” he said.”
