McGinley aims to Master his destiny with rankings climb

IT IS not only Colin Montgomerie who cannot be sure where in the world he will be the next few weeks as he chases a place in the Masters.

Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley is among those in the same boat, 69th in the rankings compared to Montgomerie’s 56th and running out of time to climb into the top 50 to earn a spot in the first major of the season.

While the Scot, fourth in the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, will fly to China for next week’s TCL Classic, McGinley is in Doha for the Qatar Masters starting tomorrow.

And with world number three Ernie Els, fresh from his Dubai win, the only player in the top 50 taking part, the Dubliner will have few better chances to make his presence felt.

For Els, a first trip to Qatar is a chance to cash in on his star status and to fine-tune his build-up to Augusta.

For McGinley it is all about earning some vital ranking points - and trying to taste victory again.

It is four years since the 38-year-old lifted a European Tour title, the Wales Open, and yet he has made two Ryder Cup appearances since then, sinking the winning putt at The Belfry in 2002 and last September being unbeaten in the triumph in Detroit.

Most of his cup colleagues are like Els, preparing as they like for a Masters that has the makings of a thriller, with so many of the game’s leading lights in winning form this season.

But McGinley said: “The position I’m in I have to travel to places I don’t particularly want to go to.”

The father-of-three is China-bound next week as well and what happens after that will depend on how well he does. Ideally, of course, he will be making plans for a return to Augusta three years after his one and only appearance there.

“Not being back there really hurts because I finished 18th and was one shot away from earning myself a return. I holed a 10-footer on the last and was sure it was going to get me in, but it didn’t and it’s disappointing I’ve not had another chance.

“I know I could do even better because now I know the speed of the greens, the pin placings and things like that. But I’ve not played well enough.

“It’s hard, though, when you’re not in all the majors and world championships. Ian Poulter is third on the order of merit and that’s all from his fourth place in the Accenture Match Play two weeks ago.

“I feel I’m overdue a win, but the standard is higher than it’s ever been. Look at how fantastically well Ian, Brian Davis and Greg Owen have done in America this season - we’re strong from one to 50 now, whereas it used to be one to 10.

“That’s one of the reasons we got the Ryder Cup result we did. The European tour has never looked better and while a lot of the players are in America at the moment most will be back soon.”