Golf: McGinley targets Ryder Cup Glory

Paul McGinley considers his World Cup victory with Padraig Harrington four years ago the best moment in his golfing life.

But the Dubliner would love it to become the second best moment in his career, topped by being part of a European Ryder Cup win at The Belfry this September.

For that to happen, of course, McGinley has to make Sam Torrance’s team. But he will feel a lot closer to that if he continues this week’s Benson and Hedges International Open the way he started it yesterday.

A six-under-par 66 gave the 34-year-old a share of the overnight lead with Swedish rookie Henrik Stenson and added weight to his belief that he is ready to take the step into Europe’s elite.

This is the perfect week to try to impress Torrance as the £m event is on the same course where the Americans will be defending the trophy in four months’ time.

‘‘I don’t view The Belfry as an easy course,’’ said the Dubliner, currently 14th in the race for places. ‘‘But I’ve become a lot more consistent player in the last few years and hopefully I’m going to use that as a springboard.’’

McGinley is well aware that, for all his top 10 finishes, he has not actually won an individual title since 1997.

Yet he adds: ‘‘I’ve just got to be patient. I’m not far away and I know I’m not going to make the Ryder Cup team if I don’t win.’’

McGinley and Stenson led by a stroke from defending champion Jose Maria Olazabal going into today, with Torrance himself and Harrington in the group a stroke further back.

It was necessary to scroll down the scores a lot further, however, to find the names of Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie.

Both opened with 73s and the first task for them when they teed off again was to survive the halfway cut.

At least Westwood has already clinched his Ryder Cup place, but Montgomerie is only two places above McGinley and needed no reminding he was trying to avoid a third successive missed cut.