McGinley dangles Ryder Cup selection prize before Lowry

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has thrown down the gauntlet to Shane Lowry to deliver a big US PGA Championship performance and push himself to the forefront of his team selection plans for Gleneagles in September.

There are only four more qualifying tournaments left before the nine automatic selections for Team Europe are decided after the Italian Open on August 31 but this week’s Major at Valhalla carries considerably more points than the events that follow and Lowry, 27, needs a strong showing to climb into contention and secure a Ryder Cup debut in less than eight weeks.

Lowry is in the form to do that having finished runner-up at Wentworth in May and tied for ninth place last time out at The Open. However, with Luke Donald, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood currently also outside the automatic places, the European skipper stressed the need for more fireworks this week from his fellow Irishman.

“There’s a lot of pedigree players ahead of Shane in the rankings at the moment,” McGinley said last night. “But as Shane has shown this year, he’s had two of the biggest performances in two of the biggest tournaments, The Open Championship and our BMW PGA Championship.

“He seems to be the man for the big occasion and he needs a big performance this week to put himself really on the top of the radar. At the moment he’s on the radar, but if he wants to push himself to the forefront of that, it going to be a big week for him this week.”

With Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia all but guaranteed automatic selection spots for Gleneagles, McGinley said he was also pleased with current form of Graeme McDowell, whose tie for eighth at last week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational pushed him into the top nine at the expense of Jamie Donaldson.

“We all know how big a heart Graeme’s heart is and what kind of player he is, and he’d obviously be a good addition should he make the team, too.

“But it’s not just those two, we’re very lucky at the moment. Things are going incredibly well from a European perspective. There’s nothing that I would be concerned about.

“I’m wishing them all the best in the next few weeks because Graeme is on the periphery at the moment, but the form he’s showing, it’s quite logical that if he doesn’t make it himself that he’s got a great opportunity for a pick.”