Golf: Paul McGinley has the chance tomorrow to end nearly six years without a win — right on the eve of being a non-playing captain again for Britain and Ireland in the Vivendi Seve Trophy. A spectacular back nine of 28 lifted the 44-year-old Dubliner right into the mix at the Dutch Open in the Netherlands.
McGinley also finished with further birdies at the seventh and eighth — after a double bogey on the previous hole — for a 64 and eight under par aggregate. Having started the third round joint 33rd, he goes into the final round in joint fourth place only two shots behind Scot Gary Orr and South African James Kingston.
They lead 2004 winner David Lynn — that was his only victory in 350 Tour events - by one, while Rory McIlroy’s four birdies in the last eight holes lifted him to eighth spot on seven under and far from out of it. Lee Westwood, even with two closing birdies, needs something special, though, to resurrect his chances. The world number two is four under and in a tie for 17th.
“What a round,” said McGinley. “I didn’t play brilliantly, but I putted brilliantly. I was saying that if I had more days like that I would have had some career.”
He has not had a bad one as it is, being part of three victorious Ryder Cup sides and three winning Seve Trophy teams — two as a player and then as captain two years ago.
McGinley admitted it had given him “a buzz” to be put in charge once more for this coming week’s clash against Continental Europe in Paris — another indication that he could well be Europe’s Ryder Cup skipper at Gleneagles in 2014.
Without a top-10 finish for almost two years, McGinley has slumped to 568th in the world, yet Orr is 674th. The 44-year-old from Helensburgh, playing on a medical exemption this year after suffering back trouble, is also down in 187th place on this season’s money list, but after a 66 — the same as Kingston — he has a great opportunity to end worries about his future.
Simon Dyson, leader after the first and second rounds, had a 72 and slipped back alongside McGinley, Swede Niclas Fasth and France’s Alexandra Kaleka.
Defending champion Martin Kaymer missed the cut by three earlier in the day, the second round not being completed until near lunchtime following the two delays on Thursday, first for vandalism on four greens and then for flooding.
