McGinley a hero out of the shadows

Chandler spoke with McGinley shortly after 8am on Saturday when the Irishman said he was gutted to be told by Sam Torrance that he wouldn't be playing in either series of matches that day.

The Dubliner felt he had performed with considerable credit in the previous day's foursomes and was worthy of another chance before the singles on Sunday.

"He was devastated but like the good professional he is, Paul took off for the practice just in case the situation changed," explained Chandler.

"At about 10.30am, he got a radio call to tell him he was in and so he was rewarded for a very good attitude and went out there did a great job alongside Darren Clarke as they halved with Phil Mickelson and David Toms. He had been panicking for three months about how he would cope with the Ryder Cup.

"Even if he hadn't holed that putt on Sunday, Paul would still have enjoyed the occasion. He waved and smiled at everybody and milked it for all it was worth. He worked so hard and it was wonderful that he should have that kind of reward."

Chandler also believes the putt that won the Ryder Cup has given McGinley worldwide recognition that is certain to attract a raft of new sponsors and invitations to prestigious tournaments worldwide.

He has suffered a serious dip in form this year but Chandler believes the impetus and confidence he derived from Sunday's heroics can inspire his return to the world's top 50 and entry to the major tournaments in 2003 that he is currently in danger of missing.

When Paul narrowly failed to get into the top 15 at this year's Masters in fact, he tied for 18th it didn't look too harmful where the 2003 Augusta renewal was concerned. After all, he was in the mid 30s in the world rankings and apparently playing well enough to improve that position still further.

However, he rushed home from Augusta to play in the Seve Trophy which was contested in awful weather conditions at Druids Glen. A week later, he was in Westport for the Irish PGA and the elements there were so dreadful the event had to be curtailed to 54 holes.

He won the title but the exertions of those successive weeks caught up quickly and even more alarming consequences. He suffered a disastrous slump in form and felt so down mentally and physically he took the drastic step of withdrawing from the Irish Open.

For a man fiercely proud of his Irishness (his children are called Killian and Niamh and I'm assured the latest arrival due in four weeks will also be given a name with a Gaelic slant), that was an extremely difficult thing to do.

He said at the time he needed the rest to get himself back into shape before turning up at The K-Club, where he is the tournament professional for the European Open a week later.

But he missed a cut that meant a great deal to him and the slump continued through the summer with very few interruptions. The consequence of that is a current lowly world ranking of 71st and only the top 50 get into the major and world championships.

"His performance in the Ryder Cup should be a source of huge encouragement for Paul," argues Chubby Chandler.

"He badly needs a few good performances, preferably as early as this week's Dunhill Links event at St Andrews with its $5m prize fund, and if he gets that, then he will be on the way back. He has the offer of a few more tournaments in China and Hong Kong, and sponsors everywhere will want to get their hands on the man who holed the winning putt in the Ryder Cup. It is, of course, very much in the lap of the gods whether McGinley, who by then will be 39, makes that team. He insists that being there is already one of his ambitions.

"I want that very much," he says. "I've tasted one Ryder Cup and I liked it very much. It was a team effort and I think it was won off the course as well as on it. Sam and Woosie were terrific and I think it was very important to have Jesse (Mark James) on board. A lot of lessons were learned from Brookline. We were more experienced."

The Europeans celebrated fittingly on Sunday night and weren't above themselves to join about 400 supporters still in the bar at The Belfry around 10pm. Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley went down there to ask Chubby Chandler to come to the team room but he had returned home in mid-afternoon.

"It's such a team thing and I didn't want to be seen as a hanger on or an intruder," he explained. "But when Lee and Paul went to the bar, they were prevailed upon to bring everybody else down as well. And they did just that, Lee standing on a table and introducing the players as they came in.

"Nobody enjoyed it more than Philip Price whom Lee described as the Welsh Wizard and who jumped up on the table and demanded 'tell 'em who I beat, tell 'em who I beat'."

Skipper Torrance, who has been known to like a pint or three, hardly had a drink all night. He wanted to savour and recall the experience. He was happy to welcome to the team room a few members of the American side including the captain Curtis Strange and Hal Sutton and their wives but most especially David Duval who stayed on until something like 4am.

Often regarded as being taciturn and retiring, the 2001 Open champion

appears to have been the American

to accept the result with the most grace. He eventually left with a European hat on the wrong way around.

It will be well into next year when the captain of the European team for Oakland Hills, Detroit, in 2004 is revealed and it will be September before the battle for points begins.

Torrance insists he won't be a runner for the captaincy and if he sticks to that stance, then it could be a contest between Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo with Bernhard Langer likely to remain in the running for the team itself.

It will be fascinating to see if he and several others of the weekend's heroes will still be there in two year's time.

"Some of the team, like Paul McGinley, were only playing this time because it was last year's team," points out Chubby Chandler.

"So you could say they were lucky to be there. On the other hand, they've all now been on a winning team and that will only intensify their will to be there next time."