MICHAEL McGINLEY is no longer "brother of the more famous Paul" - he is now a champion in his own right. Yesterday at Royal Port rush he overcame his great buddy Bryan Omelia by 2 and tin the Carlsberg North of Ireland final.
The players have roomed together all week, and also travelled to and from Portrush. But for just over three hours yesterday they were rivals. Throughout the tense decider there was never a hint of that closeness.
It was a new experience for both players, as neither had ever managed to reach a championship final before. And McGinley (21), admitted to being nervous. I certainly was extremely nervous, as I never played in front of such a crowd before. It was a weird experience, and when I looked up I just could not believe how many were there. I kept my head down and concentrated on the task in hand," he said.
The Grange player always looked the most likely to take the title and special medal struck for this, the Golden Jubilee final of the annual event. Omelia's driving was constantly wayward as he visited the bunkers and deep rough at practically every hole.
In stark contrast, McGinley was straight off the tee: "My driving has been impeccable all week. The driver felt great in my hands. I had been playing well at college in America, but I was afraid that I could not reproduce the form when I came home."
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