McGinley has no doubts

PAIL McGINLEY was home in Dublin yesterday, reflecting on an eventful weekend in Perth and keenly aware of what he needs to do to achieve an overdue breakthrough on the European Tour. In the process, he made frequent, revealing references to his golfing idol, Tom Watson, who suffered grievously before claiming a place among the game's all time great winners.

"1 have no doubt about my ability to become a winner," said the 29 year old who has been runner up on four occasions on the circuit, including two play off defeats. "If I didn't have what it takes, top players such as Seve Ballesteros and (Jose Maria) Olazabal wouldn't have taken the trouble of advising me about pressure situations, which they did."

He is also buoyed up by some highly complimentary remarks from Ian Woosnam, who edged past him with a birdie on the 72nd hole to claim the Heineken Classic last Sunday. "Woosie, who was standing on the tee, said that I must have hit a fantastic shot from the left rough to get into a greenside trap on the last hole," McGinley said.

"He then wanted to know how my bunker shot came out so fast and I explained that the ball had been down in a rake mark." The Welshman's closing remark was "Don't worry, your time will come."

The Dubliner went on "Overall, I will take very positive memories from The Vines, which is an outstanding golf course. It was also the most important tournament 1 had a chance of winning as near to a major as I've yet come in my career. That made my performance all the more gratifying."

But McGinley knows that there is no substitute for winning a tour event, whatever its status. Which has led him to look at Watson's early experiences for consolation and encouragement.

Students of the American's career will be aware that, in the early I970s, he became known for the manner in which he contrived to lose tournaments rather than in them. For instance, in the 1973 Hawaiian Open, Watson shot 68, 65 and 68 to lead by three strokes, only to squander the chance with a final round of 75.

There was a similar story in the mammoth World Open, played for a $100,000 first prize over 10 rounds at Pinehurst. In the fifth round, Watson found himself six shots ahead of the field after a 62, only to collapse to rounds of 76 and 77 to eventually finish fourth.

Then there was a celebrated failure in the US Open of 1974 at Winged Foot where a three over par final round of 73 would have given him the title he shot a 79. And he also collapsed at Medinah a year later, following rounds of 67 and 68 with 78 and 77 to be tied ninth.

"I can honestly say that I never backed off from a tournament challenge," McGinley said. "We have all seen guys do that over the front nine of a final round. They can then make a spirited if unavailing finish and claim they were unlucky.

"My problem is that I become too aggressive, too anxious to get the job done. That is one of the reasons I have changed to an experienced caddie in Jimmy Rae, who is known as Edinburgh Jimmy. I wanted someone who could help me think clearly under pressure."

McGinley's first play off defeat was against Costantino Rocca in the 1993 French Open. His involvement in sudden death came as a complete shock to him, given that the Italian was three strokes ahead with two holes to play. The result was that when the play off was called, McGinley faced a mad scramble to get his golf shoes back on while rushing to the tee where Rocca was waiting.

"Seve had been watching the whole thing on television," he said. "Two weeks later, he made a point of telling me that I had made a serious mistake in not being ready for the play off. "You should always be first on the tee that way you're in control, he told me."

A much more painful setback was the play off defeat by Olazabal in the 1994 Mediterranean Open at Villa Martin. McGinley, who was paired with the Spaniard over the last two rounds, eventually opened up a three stroke lead on him with only two holes to play. Unfortunately a poor decision on club selection lead to a double bogey at the short 17th and he went on to bogey the 18th.

After inning the play off with a birdie, Olazabal called McGinley aside. "Instead of concentrating on a job that still had to be finished, you got ahead of yourself on the 17th," he told him. By his own admission, that set back left McGinley with a "huge scar". And that's the way he wants it.

"I want to remember my mistakes so that I don't repeat them," he said. "I plan to turn those disappointments into valuable lessons, just as Watson did." And so, the quest of a breakthrough starts all over again, in South Africa next week.