Patient Paul finally rewarded

WHEN Paul McGinley stood four over par after five holes last Thursday, not even the player himself could have foreseen that he would depart Valderrama last night as the 2005 Volvo Masters champion.

His opening 74 included a triple bogey seven and a double bogey five and he then dropped a shot at the opening hole on Friday. Amazingly, it was to be his last concession to the fiendishly difficult Valderrama lay-out. He closed the round in 68, added 65 and 67 over the weekend and yesterday emerged a two shot winner on ten under par from Sergio Garcia. It all made for a wonderful occasion for the large Irish contingent in the biggest crowds ever seen at the Spanish venue and not alone establishes the 38 year-old Dubliner among the game’s elite but also leaves him within touching distance of the European Ryder Cup team at The K-Club next September.

He finished third in the European Tour order of merit with 2,296,422 behind Colin Montgomerie (2,794,222) and Michael Campbell (2,496,269), it was his fourth European Tour triumph and his first since the Welsh Open in 2001. This was also by far his largest season’s earnings, beating the 1,464,434 he picked up in 2001 while the winner’s cheque for 666, 660 is the richest of his career.