McGinley handed captaincy boost
Just four months after he was made Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has been instrumental in boosting the chances that Paul McGinley will be the man in charge at Gleneagles in 2014.
McGinley was called by the Scot this week and offered the opportunity to lead Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy - previously known as the Seve Trophy – in Paris in September.
The Dubliner, who two years ago stood down as one of Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup assistants because he wanted to try to make the team, this time accepted.
And since he is older than new Continental Europe captain Thomas Bjorn – the Dane is 38, McGinley 42 – the odds ought to come tumbling down on Europe’s 2002 match-winner being Ryder Cup captain in 2014 and then Bjorn in 2016.
That is on the assumption that Jose Maria Olazabal takes over at the helm from Montgomerie for the 2012 contest in Chicago.
“I didn’t know anything about it until Monty called. I slept on it, but obviously I’m thrilled,” said McGinley.
“I don’t know how good a captain I’m going to be, but I have a lot of strong ideas and opinions on why teams have been successful.”
Two years ago Faldo had a dry run for the Ryder Cup by captaining Britain and Ireland, but Montgomerie, who had led the side in the four previous matches, has chosen not to do the same thing.
He is still likely to be present at St Nom la Breteche on September 24-27, but wearing his Ryder Cup cap and building team spirit in both camps.
That is for the future, however. The minds of McGinley, Bjorn and Montgomerie today were occupied by trying to get back into contention for The 3 Irish Open at Baltray.
Italian Francesco Molinari led overnight after a course-record 63, but only by one from Swede Johan Edfors. Montgomerie resumed on two under, McGinley and Bjorn on one under.
It remains to be seen, of course, how many of the 20 players involved in the Vivendi Trophy then go on to qualify for Montgomerie’s side.
Of those who were at The Heritage west of Dublin two years ago only six made it to Valhalla – Justin Rose, Oliver Wilson, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Soren Hansen and Robert Karlsson.
Neither McGinley nor Bjorn will be picking any wild cards this September.
Instead half the team will come from the Race To Dubai European money list and half from the world rankings.
As things stand – and if everybody made themselves available – the two teams would be as follows:
Britain and Ireland – Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy, Oliver Wilson, Ross Fisher, Justin Rose, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell
Continental Europe – Sergio Garcia, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Alvaro Quiros, Henrik Stenson, Peter Hanson, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Soren Kjeldsen, Anders Hansen
