McGinley blazes trail at Wentworth

Dubliner Paul McGinley hopes destiny can take him all the way to a £1m (€1.5m) jackpot at Wentworth this weekend.

The 38-year-old beat Thomas Bjorn six and five in the opening round of the HSBC World Match Play Championship and next meets Ryder Cup team-mate Luke Donald, who had an even more convincing seven and six victory over Bernhard Langer.

“I was the last man in and hopefully I’ll be the last man standing,” said McGinley.

“Maybe fate and destiny is on my side,” added McGinley, who is making his debut in the event, four months after finishing runner-up to Angel Cabrera in the BMW Championship on the same course.

Although the world’s top four are all absentees this year – holder Ernie Els is injured and had to be content today with a commentating role, while Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson were among the stars to turn down their invitations – McGinley needs no reminding who has won in the past.

“The list of champions is unbelievable. There’s not a tournament in the world that would have the quality of champions you’ve had in this tournament over the years.

“This is a huge, huge, huge event. The winners of it are magnificent. They really are magnificent.”

Arnold Palmer was the first winner, Els has had a record six victories, Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros both lifted the trophy five times and Jack Nicklaus was the 1970 champion.

Langer was beaten in the final by Ballesteros twice in the 1980s, but 20 years on was no match for Donald, his successor when it comes to course management skills.

“My only bogey was a three-putt. I didn’t do a lot wrong,” said the High Wycombe golfer, who for the first time in his career is putting left hand below right.

“We have very similar games and I can learn a lot from Bernhard. He never forces shots and plays within himself.

“I think some of those trails I’ve taken on myself and that’s why we’re sometimes talked of in the same sentence.”