Paul McGinley

Paul Noel McGinley (born 16 December 1966) is an Irish professional golfer who has won four events on the European Tour. At the 2002 Ryder Cup, he famously holed a ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk at The Belfry which won the Ryder Cup for Europe.[2] He was the winning captain of Europe in the 2014 Ryder Cup and the first Irishman to captain Europe's Ryder Cup side.[3]

Paul McGinley
McGinley in 2014
Personal information
Full namePaul Noel McGinley
Born (1966-12-16) 16 December 1966 (age 57)
Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb; 11.5 st)
Sporting nationality Ireland
ResidenceSunningdale, Berkshire, England
Spouse
Allison Shapcott
(m. 1996)
Children3
Career
CollegeDublin Institute of Technology;
United States International University
Turned professional1991
Current tour(s)European Senior Tour
Former tour(s)European Tour
Professional wins10
Highest ranking18 (30 October 2005)[1]
Number of wins by tour
European Tour4
Other6
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentT18: 2002
PGA ChampionshipT6: 2004
U.S. OpenT42: 2005
The Open ChampionshipT14: 1996

Early years

McGinley was raised in Rathfarnham and was educated at St Mary's BNS and Coláiste Éanna. His father Mick — who is from Dunfanaghy — played Gaelic football for Donegal, while his mother Julia comes from Rathmullan.[4] McGinley himself was born in Dublin and studied at Dublin Institute of Technology. After his knee injury McGinley turned his full attention to golf.[5] McGinley later said that when he played golf as part of a team it helped to raise his game to another level. He credited his experience of Gaelic football for his passion for team sports and suggested it played a part in why he was appointed European captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup.[6] He later attended the United States International University in San Diego on a golf scholarship, where he gained a master's degree in marketing.[7]

McGinley won the 1989 Irish Amateur Close Championship and the 1991 South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch Golf Club. He was selected for the 1991 Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team at Portmarnock Golf Club, just north of Dublin, where a strong American team that included Phil Mickelson beat Britain & Ireland 14–10.[8]

Professional career

McGinley turned professional in late 1991 and joined the European Tour in 1992, aged 25. In 1993, he lost a playoff to Costantino Rocca in the French Open.[9] In 1994, McGinley lost a playoff to José María Olazábal in the Open Mediterrania.[10]

McGinley eventually won his first title on the European Tour at the 1996 Hohe Brücke Open (formerly known as the Austrian Open). In 1997 he won the World Cup of Golf for Ireland with Pádraig Harrington (who attended the same secondary school, Coláiste Éanna, as McGinley).

At the 2001 Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open, McGinley won the tournament on the fifth extra hole of a playoff in an event that was so badly disrupted by torrential rain that it was reduced to just 36 holes. After his victory, McGinley quipped: "Goran Ivanišević said God sent the rain for him at Wimbledon and maybe he sent it for me too!"[11]

McGinley's best finish in one of the four major championships is a tie for 6th place in the 2004 PGA Championship. He has featured in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Ranking. His best season on the European Tour was in 2005, when he finished third on the Order of Merit. He made the cut in 21 out of 23 events that year and gained his fourth and, to date, last European Tour victory in the season-ending Volvo Masters at the Valderrama Golf Club in Spain. McGinley started his final round four shots off the lead. He shot a final round of 67 for the biggest individual tournament win of his career, finishing two strokes ahead of Spain's Sergio García.[12]

Before his victory in the 2005 Volvo Masters, McGinley had three runner-up finishes in tournaments that year, finishing second to Ángel Cabrera in the BMW Championship at Wentworth and losing in the final of the HSBC World Match Play Championship at the same venue to New Zealander Michael Campbell (2 & 1). In an absorbing contest, Campbell clinched the title with a half on the penultimate hole after McGinley had driven wildly into the trees on the previous two holes. McGinley later said he was "hurt like you can't imagine" after losing in the final. He said: "I fought as hard as I could and I'm bitterly disappointed."[13]

At the 2005 TCL Classic, McGinley shot a final round of 63 to force a sudden-death playoff with Paul Casey. However, on the second extra hole Casey holed a 25-foot birdie putt from the back of the green to win the title.[14]

At the 2008 KLM Open played in the Netherlands, McGinley shot a final round of 64 to finish runner-up in the tournament, behind Darren Clarke.[15]

Ryder Cup

McGinley holding the Ryder Cup trophy in 2014.

McGinley made three consecutive Ryder Cup appearances in 2002, 2004 and 2006, with Europe being victorious each time. In the 2002 Ryder Cup, his ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk secured the ½ point Europe needed for victory; the team eventually won 15½ to 12½. In the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Ireland, McGinley offered a handshake and conceded a 20-foot putt for a half to J. J. Henry on the 18th green of his last day singles match because he feared his opponent might have been put off when a streaker ran across the green.[16]

In the 2010 and 2012 matches, McGinley served as one of the European vice-captains to Colin Montgomerie and José María Olazábal respectively. On 15 January 2013, he was named the Europe team captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup.[17][18][19]

In May 2013, McGinley gave European player Sergio García his backing following a public feud that the Spaniard had with Tiger Woods and a controversial "fried chicken" remark that García made about Woods. In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, McGinley said: "I think there's a personality clash and they don't particularly like each other's company. For me, it's no big deal. He apologised for it and, as far as I'm concerned, we move on. People make mistakes and say things all the time that they regret and didn't mean."[20] Garcia would eventually qualify for McGinley’s European squad, ahead of the Ryder Cup in September 2014.

At the 2014 Ryder Cup in Scotland, McGinley’s European team defeated the American team captained by Tom Watson with a winning margin of 16½ to 11½.[21]

Personal life

McGinley met his wife, Allison Shapcott, who played golf for England and on the Ladies European Tour, when they were both at United States International University in San Diego. They married in 1996 and have three children.[22]

McGinley is an executive fellow of the Leadership Institute at the London Business School.[23]

Amateur wins

  • 1988 Irish Youths Championship, Scottish Youths Championship
  • 1989 Irish Amateur Close Championship
  • 1991 South of Ireland Championship

Professional wins (10)

European Tour wins (4)

Legend
Tour Championships (1)
Other European Tour (3)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
111 Aug 1996Hohe Brücke Open−19 (73-66-68-62=269)1 stroke David Lynn, Juan Carlos Piñero
226 Oct 1997Oki Pro-Am−22 (66-67-64-69=266)4 strokes Iain Pyman
312 Aug 2001Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open−6 (67-71=138)*Playoff Paul Lawrie, Daren Lee
430 Oct 2005Volvo Masters−10 (74-68-65-67=274)2 strokes Sergio García

*Note: The 2001 Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.

European Tour playoff record (1–3)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
11993Peugeot Open de France Costantino RoccaLost to bogey on first extra hole
21994Turespaña Open Mediterrania José María OlazábalLost to birdie on second extra hole
32001Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open Paul Lawrie, Daren LeeWon with par on fifth extra hole
Lawrie eliminated by par on second hole
42005TCL Classic Paul CaseyLost to birdie on second extra hole

Other wins (6)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
113 Oct 1991UAP European Under-25 Championship−5 (70-69-74-70=283)1 stroke Paul Affleck, René Michelsen
213 Oct 1997Smurfit Irish PGA Championship−3 (70-66-75-74=285)3 strokes Stephen Hamill, David Higgins,
John McHenry
323 Nov 1997World Cup of Golf
(with Pádraig Harrington)
−31 (137-137-136-135=545)5 strokes  ScotlandColin Montgomerie and Raymond Russell
48 Oct 2000Smurfit Irish PGA Championship (2)−18 (67-67-67-69=270)4 strokes Eamonn Darcy
527 Apr 2002Smurfit Irish PGA Championship (3)−6 (76-72-65=213)3 strokes John Dwyer
67 Sep 2003Smurfit Irish PGA Championship (4)−8 (71-68-69-72=280)5 strokes Gary Murphy

Results in major championships

Tournament19921993199419951996199719981999
Masters Tournament
U.S. OpenCUT
The Open ChampionshipCUTCUTCUTT14T66CUTCUT
PGA Championship
Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters TournamentT18CUT
U.S. OpenCUTT42CUT
The Open ChampionshipT20T54CUTT28T57T41CUT19T43
PGA ChampionshipCUTT22CUTCUTT6T23T60
Tournament2010201120122013
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA ChampionshipCUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament00000121
U.S. Open00000041
The Open Championship000003169
PGA Championship00001384
Totals0000173015
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (2004 Open Championship – 2005 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (twice)

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament20022003200420052006
The Players ChampionshipCUTCUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut

Results in World Golf Championships

Tournament200020012002200320042005200620072008
Match PlayR64R32R64
ChampionshipT35NT1T28T35
Invitational232667T58T46T3T66T39T27

1Cancelled due to 9/11

  Top 10
  Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
NT = No tournament

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

See also

References

External links