McGinley relief as Ryder Cup year finally under way

There were easily far more officials and photographers gathered around the Wales Open first tee than paying spectators when Paul McGinley hit the opening tee shot of the 2014 Ryder Cup qualifying campaign.

McGinley was at the course soon after 6am in readiness for his 7.25am tee-off on the Twenty-Ten course at Celtic Manor.

Before McGinley was handed his driver, he was handed the Ryder Cup for the quintessential photo shoot in a scenario that’s been common practice in recent weeks. However, 46-year-old McGinley soon found himself outgunned by a player 21 years his junior in giant Norwegian Espen Kofstad.

Kofstad had missed nine cuts in succession up until recently but last year’s top Challenge Tour graduate impressed McGinley in completing his last four holes in five under and capped it off by holing a bunker shot for eagle at the last for an eight-under-par round of 64.

“Espen’s a massive hitter, hitting it a million miles off the tee,” said McGinley. “I saw the same last week when I played the first two rounds with Shane Lowry and now I’ve seen it today with Espen.”

Despite an ever-growing demand on McGinley’s time off the course — including the extra task of selecting a European captain later this year for next March’s inaugural EurAsia Cup in Malaysia — the Dubliner, after posting a one-under-par 70 yesterday, sounded relieved the 12-month Gleneagles qualifying period is under way.

“It’s a sense of excitement that the Ryder Cup is up and running, and every shot now counts,” he said.

“And guys are very much focused on the fact the Ryder Cup points have started, on both sides of the Atlantic, and it will give me a little bit more of an interest in watching the American golf at night time.”

In contrast to McGinley’s upbeat mood, Darren Clarke had good reason to complain after carding a seven-over-par 78 — his second poorest round of the year.

Clarke bogeyed the first but then took a double from the middle of the fairway at the 11th ahead of sending two balls into the water in taking a triple bogey at 14.

He then birdied 15 but took back-to-back double bogeys at 16 and 17.

Gareth Maybin and David Higgins posted one-over-par 72s, a bearded Peter Lawrie was four over after just seven holes en route to a 73. And Simon Thornton is set to join Clarke with the weekend off after also signing for a 78.

Meanwhile, Nick Dougherty showed glimpses of the man who won three European Tour titles in the space of four years at the Challenge Tour’s Northern Ireland Open with a fine opening round of 66.

The Englishman is the first to admit he has seen the very depths of despair over the past two years as he lost control of his game.

But, having completely rebuilt his swing with coach Stuart Gordon over the past year, Dougherty is a golfer reborn with a simple mission — to get back to the top of the game a better player than he ever was.

“I think everyone knows how low I got,” admitted Dougherty.

“I mean, at the end of last year, I just didn’t know what I was doing. That leads you to then question if you actually want to play the game anymore and why you want to play the game.

“Once I had answered those questions then I started to work on completely relearning the game. Thanks to Stuart, every aspect of the swing has changed and my concept of the golf swing has completely changed.”

Michael Hoey carded a one-under 70, while one of the rounds of the day came from Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy, who shot a fine 67 to lie just three strokes off the lead.