Irish eyes on McGinley in Ryder Cup’s last-chance saloon

“YOU’RE on your way to cover McGinley?” quizzed my perceptive fellow passenger as I made my way to the Bavarian capital yesterday via the dreaded Terminal One at Heathrow Airport.

He didn’t ask was I covering the BMW International starting here today or if we were concentrating on the leading Irish duo, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, or our other challengers for the €200,000 first prize, Graeme McDowell, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Damien McGrane.

No, the focus of all Irish attention this week is on 37-year-old Dubliner Paul McGinley, the hero of Europe’s success two years ago at The Belfry and now so desperate to retain his place at Oakland Hills, Detroit, Michigan, on September 17-19, he is facing into his 13th tournament in 14 weeks and his 10th in succession.