Paul McGinley celebrates the start of a 25th season teeing up today (WED) on the Doha Golf Club course in Qatar in what will be the first of a dozen events in his final year on the European Tour.
McGinley is among four players in the field to have first competed in Doha in 1998 however the sky-scrapper Qatar capital skyline nowadays mirrors nothing like a virtual barren desert landscape that greeted McGinley, David Howell and Paul Lawrie 18 years ago.
The Doha Golf Club course was then well on the outskirts of the city whereas this week work continues on a railway station slap bang beside the front gates.
Of course, McGinley capped his career some 16 months ago leading Europe to a comprehensive five-point victory at Gleneagles but then it’s also been more than a decade since his last taste of individual tournament victory in capturing the 2005 season-ending Volvo Masters.
Paul McGinley will be most remembered in leading Europe to victory in the 2014 Ryder Cup. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
However with McGinley’s life is recent years is now consumed with various business initiatives and working as an analyst with SKY Sports.
“This is my last year on the main Tour and I turn 50 mid-December so I this year will be about working towards the Champions Tour next year,” he said.
“I am clearly keeping myself very busy what with my own off-course work while SKY have me organised this year to cover the Majors, the WGCs, the Olympic Games and the Ryder Cups, so that will keep me busy.
“Then the remainder of my year will be corporate, so it’s going to be a very busy year.
Paul McGinley alongside his special ‘Gleneagles 2014’ Ryder Cup bag. (Photo – exclusive Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“What’s going to be exciting is that I’ll have two weeks at the Olympics working with SKY at both the men’s and the women’s events.
“As from a personal golfing viewpoint, I am excited to playing again and looking forward so much to this my last full season on the European Tour.”
McGinley’s immediate schedule sees him also contesting next’s Dubai Desert Classic and the following fortnight’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia.
He will also contest the May 19th starting Irish Open at the K. Club.
And if all goes to plan, and McGinley remains injury-free, he will end his European Tour career having contested 579 tournaments since making his debut as a 23-year old in the 1989 Irish Open at Portmarnock.
Joining McGinley this week in Qatar is just one other Irishman in Michael Hoey who posted a picture on his Twitter account undergoing acupuncture treat on his right leg.
