Confident McGinley swinging into gear

PAUL MCGINLEY claimed yesterday he was “close to getting back to my best” after a four under par 68 in the second round of the 3 Irish Open at Baltray yesterday.

He stands five under par for the championship but he was quick to stress that his game still lacks the level of consistency that might make him a serious challenger over the weekend.

On the plus side, he is one of the few players in the field who has no fears of the gale force winds expected to sweep in today. He recalled the 66 he returned in the third round here in 2004 that shot him up the leaderboard and began a string of outstanding results that clinched his place in the European Ryder Cup later that year.