McGinley overlooked as Lawrie gets call

News: Sentiment is a word more readily found in a dictionary than on a golf course, which is why Paul McGinley - Ryder Cup hero - can't have been too surprised not to get the 'phone call from Britain and Ireland playing captain Colin Montgomerie when it came time yesterday for confirming the final link in the team that will defend the Seve Trophy in Spain next week.

That Monty went for his fellow-Scot Paul Lawrie was not a great surprise. After all, Montgomerie and Lawrie were a pretty effective partnership when teaming up in the 1999 Ryder Cup at Brookline, winning two and a half points from a possible four in foursomes and fourballs, while they also played in the opening greensomes (albeit losing to Thomas Bjorn and Robert Karlsson) in last year's Seve Trophy match at Druids Glen.

McGinley, whose season has been solid rather than spectacular, is a noted team player, however. In last year's Seve Trophy matches, he took four out of a possible five points and, of course, later in the season sank the putt that clinched the Ryder Cup for Europe at the Belfry.

In explaining why he had picked Lawrie ahead of McGinley or the in-form David Howell, Montgomerie said: "I was delighted to have the option of picking a major winner and Ryder Cup player to strengthen an already strong-looking team." Montgomerie was confined to just one wild card selection for the match, which takes place at El Saler in Valencia on November 6th-9th.

Lawrie (34) won the British Open in 1999 and took part in the first two editions of the Seve Trophy - won in 2000 by Continental Europe and in 2002 by Britain and Ireland - playing nine ties and collecting a total of four points.

The qualification criteria for the match finished with last Sunday's Madrid Open and two Irish players, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, occupied the top two places on the Britain and Ireland team which will be completed by Montgomerie, Paul Casey, Brian Davis, Ian Poulter, Phillip Price, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and captain's pick Lawrie.

The Continental European team comprises Ballesteros, Thomas Bjorn, Alex Cejka, Niclas Fasth, Sergio Garcia (whose poor form on the US Tour means he has failed to qualify for the clashing Tour Championship), Ignacio Garrido, Fredrik Jacobson, Raphael Jacquelin, Miguel Angel Jimenez and wild card selection Jose Maria Olazabal.

McGinley may miss out on the Seve Trophy - having played in the first two instalments of the match - but, having missed the cut in the Madrid Open, he gets the chance to finish the European Tour season in style when competing in this week's €3.5 million Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

The Dubliner is one of five Irish players in the limited field, with only the top 60 players on the Order of Merit qualifying. McGinley, Clarke and Harrington will be joined in the event by Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy, who are both making their debuts in the tournament.

However, the tournament will be a little like Hamlet without the Prince, as Ernie Els - already guaranteed the money title - has decided not to play. The South African has an unassailable lead over his closest pursuer Clarke in the Order of Merit.

Last year, the title was shared, in rather controversial circumstances, by Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer after fading light prevented the pair playing more than two holes of the play-off. This time, after a change in the qualifying criteria limited the event to the top-60, Langer won't get the chance to defend.

Incidentally, Ian Poulter, who withdrew from the final round of the Madrid Open with a wrist injury, and Lee Westwood, who pulled out because of a neck injury, both expect to be fit to play in the championship.

EUROPEAN ORDER OF MERIT - Other Irish positions: 2, D Clarke €2,159,126; 3, P Harrington €1,510,473; 33, P McGinley €609,171; 53, P Lawrie €402,866; 59, G Murphy €371,669; 96, G McDowell €221,909; 140, D McGrane €126,363; 169, R Rafferty €54,911; 202, P Walton €25,539.

VOLVO MASTERS FIELD - D Clarke, P Harrington, I Poulter, L Westwood, P Casey, T Bjorn, P Price, R Goosen, A Scott, B Davis, T Immelman, S Leaney, F Jacobson, P Lonard, D Howell, I Garrido, A Forsyth, R Jacquelin, M Campbell, N Fasth, J Rose, MA Jimenez, M Gronberg, S Kjeldsen, M Lafeber, G Owen, C Montgomerie, G Evans, A Coltart, P Golding, K Ferrie, P McGinley, P Hedblom, E Romero, N O'Hern, D Fichardt, D Lynn, R-J Derksen, M McNulty, B Dredge, P Fowler, J Moseley, R Karlsson, N Faldo, R Gonzalez, Paul Lawrie, S Gallacher, B Lane, A Cabrera, S Hansen, J Bickerton, Peter Lawrie, JM Olazabal, S Garcia, C Rodiles, J Donaldson, N Dougherty, G Murphy, A Hansen.