Gaelic the grounding for three in a row

Ryder Cup Interview with Paul McGinley: Paul Gallagher meets one Ryder Cup hero with time on his hands to reflect on last weekend's heroics

Paul McGinley is one of only six European players who can claim to be part of an unprecedented three winning Ryder Cup teams in a row. Now that the dust has settled on an epic week in Kildare, the Dubliner is able to reflect on the unique passion experienced on Irish soil, the immense contributions of his Irish team-mates, his own untimely loss of form and, of course, the downing of many celebratory pints afterwards.

Never before had Europe won three Ryder Cups in succession, and McGinley, along with Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington, forms an Irish half of the sextet alongside Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, who have been part of all those victories.

That feat alone would have given cause for celebration last Sunday evening at The K Club, but with Ian Woosnam at the helm there was never going to be a problem pushing the boat out.

"Yeah, there were a few taken all right, of course there was," recalls McGinley. "We had a great night where we ended up in the American team room having a party with them as their party was just as good as ours.

"There were rumours that such-and-such went home pissed off but that's completely not the case. We were all there (both teams) having great craic and beers together."

And what of the pistols - sorry, pints - at dawn? Who was your money on?

"To tell you the truth, I don't know who got the better of who as I was one of the first to bed at 2.30am and they were still going strong," notes McGinley of Woosie's challenge to Clarke. "I know who my money would have been on. Darren, no problem. He has youth and size on his side."

McGinley was in Ireland yesterday for the official launch of Macreddin Golf Club, near Aughrim, where he is assigned to carry out his first course-design project to date in the serene surroundings, deep in the Wicklow Mountains. It was there he candidly elaborated on his own loss of form in the lead-up to the Ryder Cup and how the situation totally differed from two years previously.

"Qualifying this time around was completely different from trying to make the team for Oakland Hills in 2004. Last time I jumped ahead of everybody and came from nowhere to make the team. This time I was in the team and did my best to miss it.

"People say it was the pressure of the Ryder Cup coming to Ireland. I don't know about that. I certainly didn't take my eye off the ball and I didn't slack on practice or my schedule. If anything I just lost my game and my confidence during the summer. I had some problems with my swing and got confused with what I was trying to do with my swing."

That said, the 39-year-old stuck to his task and even hid himself away in the lead-up to the event. And sure enough, it all came good.

"I had a good week's practice all on my own before the Ryder Cup, just figuring out what I was doing, and I got to the bottom of some technical swing issues. I went back to basics, got something decent going and then when the nervousness and the adrenaline of the Ryder Cup kicked in I was able to take my game up one or two notches, which was just as well.

McGinley alluded to the fact Tom Lehman said "The Ryder Cup in Ireland was the best ever", which is quite something from a losing captain. But given the reception the players, particularly the Irish trio, received for just walking on to the tee, McGinley could see where Lehman was coming from.

"The best way for me to describe that feeling is, it's just like playing in an All-Ireland final," beamed the Dubliner. "To have the Irish people that passionate and cheer that loud for doing nothing other than walk on to the first tee, that has never happened. Before, it was polite applause, whereas this was raw passion, like we'd just holed the winning putt. It was great and a huge honour for me as an Irishman to play in front of my home crowd.

"There was a lot of hype before this Ryder Cup but I think it lived up to and exceeded expectations. Even those who were cynical beforehand realised what a big deal it is. And the Irish certainly put on a great show. This was like playing an All-Ireland final but it lasted for three days!"

The Surrey-based McGinley is an all-round sports fanatic but other than golf it's the GAA which is closest to his heart.

"I have Irish TV in my home in England so I get to watch all the GAA, hurling and football. I have two season tickets at West Ham and go every time I'm home and I also get up to see Celtic quite a bit during the year, plus I have Celtic TV in the house. I've all the angles covered and, don't forget, three young kids so it's a busy house and a busy life."

The fact that McGinley played Gaelic football at underage before a knee injury prematurely ended his playing career is well-documented. But he still attributes much of his Ryder Cup and team success in golf to his grounding in Gaelic games.

"I have a great passion for the GAA and I think a lot of my success in the Ryder Cup can be attributed to my GAA background." Why? "Just being in the team dressing-room, having team meetings like we do at the Ryder Cup, I get a real buzz out out that.

"Even sitting around with the players last week, it's one of the rare times when the guys can let their guard down. Just like my time playing Gaelic, everybody's looking for the one goal and discussing how to achieve that goal. That situation always brings me back to my GAA days in terms of tactics, who we were going to play and in what position, what the crowd reaction would be like. We talk about about how to deal with a certain player, how the course or the pitch would play. I see big parallels between the two and my success in team golf is undoubtedly linked to my GAA background," states McGinley, who also won the World Cup of Golf for Ireland alongside Harrington at Kiawah Island in 1997.

As for last week's team meetings, McGinley had nothing but praise for Woosie.

"Every meeting was opened to the floor and everybody spoke and had something to say. There was a lot of emotion and passion at those meetings. I thrive on that."

Of McGinley's three outings at The K Club, two were alongside his good friend Harrington, who he said played well despite his personal tally of just half a point.

"I was surprised to hear he (Harrington) came in for some criticism. People only look at the bottom line and see half a point but I can tell you he contributed a lot more than that in other ways. I thought Padraig played well both times I played with him; he certainly didn't let me down. The problem is, although he was under par practically every round, he ran into form horses every time and sometimes that's the way it goes."

As for Clarke, McGinley was never in any doubt the Dungannon man would rise to the occasion.

"Darren did great. Obviously it was a tough week for him but he came through it and played wonderful golf, as I knew he would. Rumours beforehand suggested Clarke shouldn't play, he's not emotionally ready, but I never had a doubt he would play a big part."

As for his own emotions can McGinley compare last week to, say, holing the winning putt in 2002 or the biggest win of his career, last year's Volvo Masters?

"They are very different waves of emotion. The putt in 2002 was like shaking a bottle of champagne, then popping the cork and it just explodes at the crescendo. Up until that point you're just trying to keep everything in check, then when the ball drops into the hole it was absolute ecstasy. Last week was more a sense of satisfaction and pride, not just for me and the team but for my country and the way we put on a great show.

"The Volvo Masters was different again, a huge sense of achievement. I just got a nice warm feeling that I had got over the finish line and no one can take that away from me."

McGinley didn't feel anything like those emotions yesterday at Macreddin as he was afforded time to relax and talk of his first venture into course design. The fact is he was available because his world ranking, 53, excluded him from the American Express World Championship at Watford.

He is determined to break back into the top 50 and will strive for the 18th position he held this time last year.

"Macreddin is my first and only venture into course design at the moment. I've put all my energies into this one because I didn't want it to detract from my golf," said McGinley, who admits being on a steep learning curve but is very excited about how the project is turning out.

"One of my old college professors said, 'You don't get a second chance to make your first impression' - and that's very true. I want to get this right and put down a marker. This will always be my first baby in course design."

Macreddin's golfing credentials are enhanced by the adjacent and established Brook Lodge and spa. The new course is due to open next summer.

It's certainly an ideal place for McGinley to reflect on the many glorious Ryder Cup moments of which he has been part.