McGinley tips Euro stars for more glory

Paul McGinley believes the European Tour has no need for an inferiority complex.

The victory by Michael Campbell in the US Open on Sunday was further proof, the Dubliner believes, of the changing face of golf.

“There is nothing to be fearful of the American tour any more,” commented McGinley going into today’s French Open at Le Golf National near Paris.

“We are no longer, in my opinion, inferior players, We are every bit as good.

“It has been changing slowly, but the Ryder Cup has shown it. Our tour is on the up in terms of players and on the up in terms of tournaments.”

New Zealander Campbell won his first major title two weeks ago after surviving a qualifying tournament with nothing to spare at Walton Heath.

He was one of nine players to earn a chance to play at Pinehurst and he was not the only one to shine. Swede Peter Hedblom finished 11th, while England’s Nick Dougherty and Jonathan Lomas made the halfway cut in their first major championship in America.

Campbell was in the original line-up for this week’s event but withdrew following his triumph. He returns at the European Open at the K Club near Dublin next week.

“He is going to be a strong part of our tour and I think it’s great,” added Ryder Cup hero McGinley.

“I sat beside him on the plane on the way over, we played two practice rounds together and then played the first two rounds together. I saw a lot of him.

“I’m delighted for him. He is a very popular guy and will be a great champion. He has a great personality and will carry the mantle of US Open champion really well.

“He played very well the first two days and I said to him: ’If you play anything like that then you are going to win.’ We had a laugh about that.

“It’s good for his peers on the tour. Certainly it will bring us all on knowing he can go over there and win such a big title.”

McGinley and cup team-mates Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Angel Jimenez are the three highest-ranked players competing for a first prize of £390,888 (€473,800).