St. Andrews, Scotland …

Some two months out from the Ryder Cup and Paul McGinley reckons European Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjorn should be rubbing his hands with glee.

Francesco Molinari’s victory in The Open not only broke an American stranglehold on the Majors, and dating back to last year’s U.S. Open, but has given Bjorn three Major Champions in his top eight qualifiers.

“This is the best list of leading qualifiers I have seen in my lifetime of playing on the European Tour,” said McGinley on the eve of the Senior Open at St. Andrews.

“The inclusion of Molinari has the team in great shape with a lot of players in form and now with a great chance of winning back the Ryder Cup, and on a golf course we have been playing since 2002.

“And the great thing about Molinari was not only his stunning success last week but his victories at the BMW PGA and more-recently winning the Quicken Loans.

“To also have finally broken the run of American players winning the Majors is also a huge boost for Europe plus all the team trophies the States has won, so the country has been a roll of victories for some time.

“And as much as the European Team is good and we are playing at home, the Ryder Cup is not easily won, and while America will be strong, we could not be in better shape right now.”

McGinley was 26 years old when he played this week’s Old Course host venue for a first time as a pro and that was in 1993 and representing Ireland in the three-man Alfred Dunhill Cup.

He played in seven Dunhill Cup’s but only two Open Championships at the Home of Golf and that was in 2000 and 2005.

McGinley also contested ever Dunhill Links Championship events since the inaugural event in 2001 and up to and including 2016, and with best finish of T9th in 2009.

“I first came here to St. Andrews in 1993, so I know the Old Course very well and it’s always great to tee-up on the Old Course,” he said.

“I represented Ireland for a first time in pro competition with David Feherty and Ronan Rafferty as partners and was a proud member of the Irish team for many years.

“In recent years I’ve teed-up in the Dunhill Links Championship so it’s always a thrill to come here to St. Andrews but then I wish I had a bit more mileage under my belt in terms of tournament play but then I have a lot of priorities at the moment though I still love to play.”

Joining McGinley this week is fellow Irishman and fellow Volvo Masters winner, Ronan Rafferty with the 54-year old Ulsterman now living in Comrie and close to Gleneagles in Scotland.

Rafferty is a winner of seven European Tour events from 1989 to 1993 and in 1991 was crowned European Tour No. 1 and contested 462 main Tour events from 1979 to 2007.

However, since turning 50 in 2014 Rafferty has played just 37 Senior Tour events including four this year.

And Rafferty lays claim to the second-youngest to play The Open and aged just 16 years and some six months when teeing-up as a then 20-year old in the 1980 Open at St. Andrews

“I’ve got good memories coming back here to St. Andrews winning two Dunhill Links Trophy events for Ireland and I played in four Open’s including my highest-ever finish in a Major finishing ninth behind Seve in 1984 here at St. Andrews,” he said.

“Actually, I first played here as a 12-year old and then played as a 17-year old in the ’91 British Amateur so I have some great memories of playing here but none better than that 1984 Open when Seve holed that famous putt to win, and with that picture of him that became famous around the world.

“But then you think was it that long ago (smiling).

“Nowadays, I only play about eight Senior Tour events a year as I undertake a lot of corporate golf work so I am quite busy doing that.

“Though in saying that I have been looking forward to this week as it is the last time I may play a competitive tournament on the Old Course, and it’s like I want to go standing on the Swilcan Bridge or anything like that but the chances are or playing another Senior Open here for me is pretty slim.

“So my expectations this week is to firstly enjoy it and to make the cut as that would be nice.”

McGinley and Rafferty are among six Irish contesting this week’s $US 2m event.

Irish Tee times:

7.30am – Brendan McGovern

8.30am – Ronan Rafferty

9.10am – Paul McGinley

12.20pm – Eamonn Darcy

1pm – Mark McNulty

1.40pm – Des Smyth