McGinley's seeks lift in Ryder Cup race

A FOURTH top ten finish of the season was scant consolation for Paul McGinley at The K Club yesterday.

The Dubliner preaches the need for patience but you sense his may be running out just a little as he desperately chases the kind of result that will kickstart his burning ambition to retain his place on the European Ryder Cup team.

Having been the hero two years ago at The Belfry, McGinley covets more of the same and knows only too well he needs to win a significant tournament or come in 2nd or 3rd to have any chance of making it. He shot four solid rounds of 70, 70, 71 and 73 at The K Club for a three under par aggregate of 281. He was leading Irishman and picked up a cheque for €59,154 along with the bonus of €10,000 from O2 destined for a charity of his choice. He stands 24th on the European Tour order of merit with €442,341 and is 14th in the European points list.

"I was looking for better than this," he admitted. "But I began the final round with a double bogey and it's hard to come back from that. I misjudged the wind and hit it in the left rough were I had a horrible lie. I eventually wound up missing from eight feet and that's just typical of the way things are. The eight footers are not dropping and I'm not hitting my iron shots close enough. For sure, I hung in there but the momentum isn't there in contrast to guys like, say, Retief Goosen. I know the answer and I've just got to be patient. I have three big weeks coming up and the Ryder Cup is drawing closer."

Next best of the Irish was Gary Murphy who made further considerable inroads into the kind of money he needs to retain his Tour card by shooting 69, 71 over the weekend to come home on one under par 283. He was placed 20th and won €37,868 to stand 74th in the money list with €173,431. A poor finish on both Saturday and yesterday cost Murphy dear. He had a 67 in his sights in the third round when he bogeyed each of the last two for 69 and yesterday the Kilkennyman settled for 71 having again dropped a stroke at the 17th. He put his approach to the last into the lake but did well to salvage par by getting up and down from 90 yards.

"I broke par so the course didn't beat me but I'm a little disappointed because I didn't hole any putts," he reacted. "It was a good solid week and I felt I played better than four under for the weekend and deserved a top ten finish. But I'm still in good spirits heading for Loch Lomond which opened a lot of doors for me last year."

Padraig Harrington did a superb job in covering the disappointment of dropping four strokes at the 17th and 18th that turned a potential 67 or even 66 into a rather ordinary 71. He finished five over par for the championship, tied for 52nd and picked up a cheque for €11,597.

"I hit it great all day, holed a few more putts and failed to take a lot of chances," he insisted. "I missed only two fairways so it's right up there. If I was eight or ten under par coming down the last I'd be really having problems. 17 was a choice between a hard five or a soft four, which Ro (Ronan Flood, his caddy) wanted. I decided to go with a hard five and pulled it left into the water. I wanted to shoot 65, to break the course record, but that was that. There was definitely mud on the ball at the last. I had a look but it was underneath."

Whatever, the second shot crashed into the lake fronting the island green. Having moved up to within a hundred yards of the flag, he put his fourth over the back and again found water. The resultant eight was a bitter disappointment.

Through the four days, Harrington managed to get 5, 6, 7 and 8 on his card at various times. He moved immediately to the practice ground with his coach Bob Torrance and thinking ahead to the Open Championship at Troon in ten days time. He plans a practice round there on Thursday as he is not playing at Loch Lomond.

As he does so, Padraig might do well to reflect on his putting statistics at The K-Club where he went 30, 29, 35 and 27 over the four days for an average of 30.3. He was 31.4 at the recent US Open at Shinnecock Hills. You don't win tournaments or add to your millions with figures like those though he again claimed: "In giving somebody a putting lesson at a barbecue last night, I basically explained to myself where I was lacking a little bit. I was definitely hitting the putts better at the hole today. It always comes down to your confidence and focus. From the 5th onwards, I holed putts and played really solid."

Darren Clarke left Co Kildare believing his game was light years away from what he wants. He closed with a 72 for six over and a tie for 59th.

As if to undermine the failure of the two Tour stars, Ashbourne club professional John Dwyer finished ahead of Harrington and Clarke. Yesterday's 73 for four over 292 closed off a commendably steady four days for the brother of former jockey Mark Dwyer. He tied for 44th.

Peter Lawrie accepted he had "nobody but myself to blame for a very poor putting round". He shot 76 to finish five over par in a share of 38th while Neil Manchip from Royal Dublin came in 12 over after a closing 79 for 71st.