McGinley: Ryder rumpus ‘very emotive’

PAUL McGINLEY admits that the failure of the “Fed-Ex Four” — Pádraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose — to play in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles this week could have a negative effect on Europe’s prospects of regaining the Ryder Cup in October at Celtic Manor.

This is the final counting week for Europe but there are no points at stake in New Jersey where Harrington, Casey, Donald and Rose are contesting the Barclays Championship, the first event on the US PGA Tour’s lucrative Fed-Ex Cup series. The quartet have come in for criticism from a whole host of their European Tour colleagues — and not just those still in contention for one of Colin Montgomerie’s three wild card picks at the close of play here on Sunday.

“I only had to stand on the practice range for a half hour to hear what the guys are saying,” commented McGinley, one of Montgomerie’s three vice captains at Celtic Manor.