Showdown: The Inside Story of the Gleneagles Ryder Cup

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Elmes, John (14 April 2016). "Interview with Paul McGinley". Times Higher Education . Retrieved 30 April 2017.

After entering amateur championships, Paul was selected for the 1991 Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, and turned professional in late 1991, joining a year later in 1992, aged 25. U.S. Beats Britain-Ireland, Regains Walker Cup". Los Angeles Times. 7 September 1991 . Retrieved 13 February 2013. McGinley led a team of 12 European players against the American team, captained by Tom Watson, to success in 2014. The world-respected professional golfer famously sank the winning putt on his first Ryder Cup appearance in 2002, and, after his 2004 and 2006 successes, became the first European golfer to win the tournament in each of his three appearances.I knew what it was like to sit there, waiting to play. When I played three Ryder Cups, I was always, in terms of ability, ranked 6-12 in the team. I wasn’t number one, but I was an important team member. So I had empathy with the players sitting a session out.” Relating to the ‘stars’ was more of a challenge. “How was I going to get the most out of someone like Rory McIlroy? I learnt not to put too much pressure on him,” he says. Successful leaders understand what motivates each individual on the team (eg, prestige, development opportunities, etc) and tries to match rewards to those individual motivations. Justin Rose quipped: "Thanks." Faldo looked at his team and then said: "Do I care?" Lee Westwood was first to step in: "No is the word you're looking for, I think." Each and every European player paid tribute to their skipper for providing the opportunity to perform at their best over the three days at Gleneagles. But one side was far better prepared for the task and one team was melded into a single unit. That team was Europe.

McGinley made three consecutive Ryder Cup appearances in 2002, 2004 and 2006, with Europe being victorious each time. In the 2002 Ryder Cup, his ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk secured the ½ point Europe needed for victory; the team eventually won 15½ to 12½. In the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland, McGinley offered a handshake and conceded a 20-foot putt for a half to J. J. Henry on the 18th green of his last day singles match because he feared his opponent might have been put off when a streaker ran across the green. [16] Paul gained a spot in golfing folklore by holing the winning putt on his Ryder Cup Debut in 2002. He then went on to represent Europe in 2004 and 2006, making him the first European Golfer to win in every one of his three appearances. Paul showed his skills again at team golf when he led the Great Britain and Ireland team to victory in the 2009 and 2011 Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, 2009 being in his first experience of captaincy. Why would the players need me to validate their playing? They had 60,000 cheering fans for that,” he says. At the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland, McGinley’s European team defeated the American team captained by Tom Watson with a winning margin of 16½ to 11½. [21] Personal life [ edit ] Before his victory in the 2005 Volvo Masters, McGinley had three runner-up finishes in tournaments that year, finishing second to Ángel Cabrera in the BMW Championship at Wentworth and losing in the final of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at the same venue to New Zealander Michael Campbell (2 & 1). In an absorbing contest, Campbell clinched the title with a half on the penultimate hole after McGinley had driven wildly into the trees on the previous two holes. McGinley later said he was "hurt like you can't imagine" after losing in the final. He said: "I fought as hard as I could and I'm bitterly disappointed." [13]

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At the 2008 KLM Open played in the Netherlands, McGinley shot a final round of 64 to finish runner-up in the tournament, behind Darren Clarke. [15] Ryder Cup [ edit ] McGinley holding the Ryder Cup trophy in 2014. The master-plan for Paul was to make sure we would be holding the trophy at the end of the week. It wasn't about egos, playing certain players five times. This was about getting hold of that trophy." He made three consecutive and victorious Ryder Cup appearances in 2002, 2004 and 2006, with his ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk winning the 2002 Ryder Cup for Europe. He has always felt ardently about the team format, a point that was recognised by Colin Montgomerie who named him as one of his Vice Captains for The Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort. Paul has been on the winning team for The Ryder Cup, Seve Trophy, World Cup and Royal Trophy, a true golfing champion. Paul’s best year came in 2005, during which he finished runner-up three times before concluding a wonderful year with a victory in the Volvo Masters at Valderrama. People can smell a fake, says McGinley. “If you’re not living in reality, people see it and they sense it. So first of all, you’ve got to be real.”