McGinley in contention

Paul McGinley could well be the man to captain Europe when the Ryder Cup returns to Scotland in 2014 after a gap of 41 years.

Gleneagles is for the future, though. The present is that the 42-year-old Dubliner is in contention for the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond after an opening 65.

The six-under-par round left McGinley one behind Australian left-hander Richard Green overnight and in with a chance of recording his first victory since the 2005 Volvo Masters.

He could, of course, have joined Padraig Harrington at the Irish PGA Championship this week – Harrington is the halfway leader as he looks for both a third successive victory there and in The Open at Turnberry next week.

“It’s kind of hard to justify playing the Irish PGA when there’s that much money and points and everything available this week,” said McGinley, down at 201st in the world and 132nd on the European Tour’s “Race To Dubai” cash list.

“Padraig is playing and it’s exactly what he wanted having had a bad run (five successive missed cuts) the last couple of months.

“It’s perfect for me and it would have been perfect for me except it came up against a tournament of this size.

“I can’t afford to miss this – and it’s at a course that I’m familiar with and enjoy.

“I’m comfortable in Scotland. I come up here to watch Celtic and see Bob Torrance (his coach as well as Harrington’s) and sometimes that has an effect.

“I get a lot of support – or half the population up here any way!”

The moment he was named as Britain and Ireland’s captain for September’s Vivendi Trophy match against Continental Europe McGinley was being linked with the 2014 Ryder Cup captaincy.

The 2002 match-winner said: “It’s really so far off and I think a lot will depend on how I play the next five or six years.

“It’s been well-documented that we (he is a member of the players’ committee) feel it’s a benefit if the captain is still contending or playing.”

Also round in 65 yesterday were England’s Graeme Storm, Arizona-based Scot Martin Laird and Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano.

Whether Lee Westwood teed off for the second round this afternoon remained to be seen.

Westwood had a chest infection as he struggled to a 73 yesterday – Colin Montgomerie had the same score – and said he had been “stupid” to play.