McGinley hopes to go one better in Perth

AN Austrian Open title was welcome last year for Paul McGinley, but the Dublin professional had to accept it was small beer compared to some successes. This week's Heineken Classic, which starts today in Perth, could provide a sparkling start to the season and enable McGinley to go one better than last year.

It was at this tight, undulating, 7,112 yard Vines course set in Western Australian vineyards and bush that McGinley nearly laid the ghost of several near misses since launching his career. A solid display in searing heat and, in the final round, a fickle wind, took McGinley to the brink, until he capitulated to the power and wiles of Ian Woosnam.

His second place behind the Welshman, though, proved the power base for that first victory as McGinley proved irresistible in the closing round in Austria. Now McGinley hopes he can settle a score this week at The Vines.

"I didn't lose the tournament last year, Woosie won it," said McGinley, typically putting in a long stint of practice after a late collapse in Brisbane last week pushed him outside the cut.

"When you are level par for the last six holes in a big wind in the second event of the season and someone like Woosie outperforms you, then there is nothing you can do about the result. It was very important for me to know that Woosie won and I didn't lose.

"But I seriously want to win a big one. The Austrian Open was good, but it's the smallest event of the season. I've performed well against the big boys in the past but never won in front of them. I want to do that as soon as I can."

Will it be this week, though?

"Who can tell? At this stage of the season, you can't judge your game that well," added McGinley. "I was very disappointed at my performance last week. I made unforgivable mistakes at the end and spoiled any chance I had of getting in tournament practice at the weekend. I dearly needed it, at this stage of the season. In fact, as far as I'm concerned, the season starts this week."

Apart from last week, McGinley could hardly have a better field with which to gauge his standards at this stage of the year, two tournaments into the season. Last week's Johnnie Walker Classic champion Ernie Els is in the field, as is Woosnam, optimistic and chirpy and out to defend at all costs. Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples and the formidable John Daly are also matched against Irish hopes.

Boosting Ireland's challenge is Darren Clarke, unsure how his game, is set, and who considers himself fortunate to have moved up a place to third in the Ryder Cup points table after a parsimonious haul last week when finishing 45th.

But move up he did. He has to stay upwardly mobile in the table or at least attain a status quo on his position, before taking his early season break, when others will be ready to oust him from his lofty spot.

Padraig Harrington also moved up last week, following his 27th place at Hope Island. The Stackstown man is now 18th in the table. Like Clarke, though, he was unsatisfied with his practice before today's start.

"I was pathetic in practice," admitted Harrington. "Maybe it was using buggies in the pro am which did it, but I just couldn't find any rhythm.

Ronan Rafferty, who has several Australian victories under his belt, and Raymond Burns, will, like, McGinley, hope to bounce back from an indifferent start to the year last week.

While McGinley is ready to make up for a false start, it is start proper for David Higgins. The young, Waterville pro, who has spent seven weeks warming up in California, makes his 1997 debut today.

"It's a bit different to last year when the start of the season left us all over the place," said Higgins, who had to be plucked from a Challenge Tour event to feature in his European Tour debut in Durban and then missed a series of cuts to begin his career. "I just want to get into my groove a bit quicker this year."