GOLF: PAUL McGINLEY will lead Britain Ireland in the Vivendi Seve Trophy at St Nom la Bretèche in Paris from September 15th-18th, reprising a role he performed in 2009 when inspiring his charges to a 16½-11½ victory over Continental Europe.
The 44-year-old who will tee it up in the Johnnie Walker Championships at Gleneagles in Scotland this week – fellow Irishmen Shane Lowry, Damien McGrane, Michael Hoey and Peter Lawrie are also in the field – may find local support at the venue a little hard to come by as the Continental Europe team will be captained by Frenchman Jean Van de Velde, who performs the role for the first time.
The biennial contest was instigated by the late Seve Ballesteros in 2000 as a team competition to be contested in non-Ryder Cup years, and the two 2011 captains were delighted to accept their invitations to fill the non-playing roles from Europe’s 2012 Ryder Cup captain, José Maria Olazábal.
The Spaniard, as a close friend of compatriot Ballesteros, was asked to nominate the respective team captains in this the seventh staging of the event. There is little doubt McGinley will be a future Ryder Cup captain at some point. He cuts a hugely popular figure amongst his peers and his personality and experience seem tailor-made for the job.
The Irishman played a significant role as vice-captain to Colin Montgomerie in helping Europe regain the Ryder Cup from the Americans at Celtic Manor last year. He is a passionate advocate of team golf and was on three consecutive Ryder Cup-winning teams in 2002 (he memorably holed the winning putt), 2004 and 2006.
He was a member of the two-man World Cup-winning Ireland team alongside Pádraig Harrington and has also enjoyed success while representing Europe in the Royal Trophy matches.
McGinley said: “It’s a great honour to be invited back as captain, and it’s something that I’m really looking forward to. I enjoyed it enormously last time, so I was delighted to be asked again.
“I’m looking forward to going up against Jean, and it’s good to have a Frenchman involved on French soil, because that’s important for the future of the tournament. With the excitement of France being awarded The Ryder Cup, I’m sure the event will be well supported.
“Obviously with Seve’s sad passing earlier this year, there will be added poignancy, particularly with José Maria being involved. Two years ago Seve was in our thoughts, both in the team room and outside. I’m sure he’ll be looking down on us, and hopefully we can put on an event worthy of him.”
Van de Velde played in the 1999 Ryder Cup and was a member of the victorious Continental European team at the Seve Trophy the following year.
“Paul McGinley is a good friend but he has a head start on me, having captained Britain Ireland to victory in 2009, so that is extra pressure! However I am looking forward to it immensely.”
The Vivendi Seve Trophy consists of two 10-man teams who play fourballs, greensomes, foursomes and singles over the four days. Qualification for the teams began at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last December and finishes after the Omega European Masters on September 4th.
The top five players in the Official World Golf Ranking and the top five in The Race to Dubai Rankings will qualify. Britain Ireland have won five of the six stagings of the tournament.
Meanwhile Pádraig Harrington has made the field for the first of four events in the FedExCup playoffs, The Barclays at Plainfield Country club in Edison, New Jersey. The Irishman cancelled a family holiday to the Bahamas to try and play his way into the field, which would cater for the top 125 players in the FedExCup standings.
Harrington was ranked 130th and elected to play the Wyndham Championship in an attempt to earn a trip to New Jersey. He did just that, squeezing in at number 124, thanks to a tied 47th finish, following a closing 68, for a six under total.
He endured a torturous afternoon, summing it up immediately after his round, “why do I do this to myself?” But having qualified his mindset was more positive. “If I have four good weeks I could win the FedEx Cup and have a great year and that’s what the playoffs are about. It gives everybody who gets into them an opportunity.”
Harrington must finish in the first 30 players at The Barclays to make the top 100 players that go forward to the Deutsche Bank at TPC Boston next week. Graeme McDowell had no such angst and will also be in action in New Jersey.
