McGinley welcomes selection dilemmas
McIlroy’s epic sweep of The Open, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and Sunday’s PGA Championship at Valhalla has seen Ireland’s world number one golfer take down the game’s best, including in-form American stars Rickie Fowler and Phil Mickelson.
Tom Watson’s team will clearly be gunning for McIlroy in Scotland next month as they bid to win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008 and prevent a hat-trick of European victories in the matches.
And captain McGinley is keenly aware how much it would mean to the Americans if they could nullify his team’s leading light.
“That is something I will be discussing with Rory,” McGinley said having witnessed McIlroy battle to a one-stroke victory over Mickelson late on Sunday night in Kentucky.
“I have a number of things to talk to him about, he has been incredibly engaging with me already. I don’t want to put too much on his shoulders, he has a FedEx (Cup) to win before starting to win a Ryder Cup, so I will be engaging with Rory at the right time.”
McGinley, who was forced to withdraw from the PGA Championship due to an ongoing shoulder problem, was nevertheless at Valhalla to monitor his potential team members and also commentated for Sky Sports.
He was delighted with what he saw, not just from McIlroy and Henrik Stenson, who finished tied third with Fowler, as well as Victor Dubuisson, who tied for seventh, but those Europeans battling for the nine automatic selections to be finalised on August 31 or failing that, impress the captain enough to become one of three wild card picks on September 2.
“It is great to see guys like Lee Westwood (T15 at Valhalla) come good and show what they are capable of. Ian Poulter and Luke Donald are the same, and guys like Jamie Donaldson and Graeme McDowell have shown how determined they are to hang onto their places on the team.
“When you see them all making a dash for the line it just shows how much everyone wants to be on the team, even if they say it is only at the back of their minds at the moment.
“I’m going to be spoiled for choice when it comes to naming my wild card picks, but that is a situation all European captains find themselves in these days. You have to make some very tough choices.
“The guys playing here have made it even more difficult for me. But it’s a problem I will happily deal with. The strength in depth we have is incredible, so I’m in a very fortunate position.”
With Europe winning three of the year’s four majors, Martin Kaymer having run away with the US Open at Pinehurst in June, McGinley will take charge of a team that’ll be overwhelming favourites at Gleneagles. The captain sees that only in a positive light.
“It is not a situation we have been in often before, just looking at the odds in the bookies how it has changed over the last few weeks,” he said. “We are becoming favourites and that is something that is out there, it is realistic and a legitimate thing and we will have to deal with that. Rory went into the PGA as favourite and look at the way he dealt with it. He knows how to deal with being favourite, there are ways of doing it, it is not all negative.”
That said, McGinley will warn his players against any hint of complacency, despite the Americans being weakened by the numerous injuries and poor form to key players, including Tiger Woods.
“It is all going well, and looking very good from a European viewpoint, although I assure you there’s no way we will underestimate the American team.
“All the conversations this week, all the players, are very clear how big the task is to beat America.
“They will be galvanised no doubt, and they are going to be very strong and I can assure you right now we will not be underestimating any player on that American team, whoever the 12 may be.
“If America are going to win this Ryder Cup, they will have to play well to beat us. And if we are to win the Ryder Cup, we will have to play well to beat them. That’s the way the Ryder Cup always is.”
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