Paul McGinley confessed he felt like screaming when legendary eight-time Major Champion Tom Watson was appointed a surprise 2014 USA Ryder Cup captain.
Such was the reaction in Europe to Watson’s appointment many began calling for the appointment of a player of ‘presence’ to match the American at Gleneagles.
Watson is the fourth multiple Major winner in the last 30 years to captain a USA team and when Lee Trevino (1985) and Curtis Strange (2002) failed only Watson (1993) and Jack Nicklaus (1983) were successful.
“I felt like screaming to show me the correlation between great players and great captains,” said McGinley.
Paul McGinley proudly carrying the 2014 Gleneagles logo on his golf bag in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup. (Exclusive photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“Go on, where’s the historical evidence as the argument doesn’t hold up? Now I’m not saying Tom Watson won’t be a great captain. But I am saying that ‘great player equals great captain’ is not a given.”
When McGinley first met Watson the Kansas-born golfer’s steely eyes cut right through the pint-sized Dubliner.
That was when both were competing regularly in the British Open.
However when Europe’s newly-appointed Ryder Cup captain looks into the eyes of his USA Team rival during this year’s British Open, McGinley will not be so easily intimidated.
“When I first met Tom Watson those steely eyes went right through me but I’m certainly not afraid of him, and I’m certainly looking forward to pitting myself against him,” said McGinley.
McGinley now proudly sports the 2014 Gleneagles Ryder Cup logo on his golf bag and in a mirror of the low-profile manner he adopted ahead of being appointed Europe’s new captain, McGinley purposely asked TaylorMade (one word – cap M) not to add the words ‘2014 European Ryder Cup captain’ under the logo.
But given the reception he’s received over the past three weeks in the Middle East McGinley really doesn’t need to go around waving a Ryder Cup flag.
“It’s nice that people now recognize me more as the Ryder Cup captain and I love people asking me for an autograph or a photo, so in many ways I am walking round with more of a spring in my step,” he said.
“But I don’t think I have to be introduced too much as the next European Ryder Cup captain as so many people already know.
“I understand that an estimated 500 million people either tuned live or picked up snippets from the news and what have you, to watch that press conference in Abu Dhabi when I was handed the captaincy.
“So that just shows you how big a deal it was and that is the kind of exposure the Ryder Cup now generates.”
McGinley will not compete again to the March 14th starting Avantha Masters in far off India but of importance in coming weeks is ‘researching’ the possibility of altering the current European Team qualifying process given the number of Europeans now competing in the States.
And that could very well involve going down the same path as Davis Love 111 who had four ‘wildcard’ picks for Medinah.
“The big thing going in my head at the moment is the qualification process and where am I going to go with that,” said McGinley.
“It’s the number of picks I’m mainly concentrating on given the high number of our top players who are now members of the PGA Tour. So that is going to make it more difficult for the very best players in Europe to qualify for the team.
“So I need to give myself a little bit more manoeuvrability? Do I need to have more picks because of that?
“That is going to take a lot of research and a lot of work certainly over the next three months but then by the time we get to Wentworth (May 23rd) I should have a better idea of what I want, and what I will be happy with.
“But then I’ve got so much to do these next five weeks or so. I have my first official meeting with the Tour next Thursday while my golf business project down in Ghana is thriving and moved to a bigger level on January 7th last month with 12 people now working on the project,” he said.
“So I want to keep a handle on myself and not over-stretch myself and keep myself fresh for my golf.”
And McGinley is expecting a rousing welcome when he competes later this month in the Des Smyth Drogheda Youth Foundation Golf day.
It will be McGinley’s first visit to Ireland since being appointed European Team leader and he will join Smyth is a fund-raised being staged at the Co. Louth.
“I know it’s going to be a huge reception for me and I promised Des I would play in his Drogheda Youth Foundation day,” said McGinley.
“It was supposed to be played last November but was cancelled so it’s going to be exciting not only helping Des raise funds for his Foundation but just to be back in Ireland.”
