McGinley will hardly be denied now

It will take freak developments during the coming three weeks to deprive Paul McGinley of a debut appearance in the Ryder Cup next month. Though it happened famously in 1991, when Eamonn Darcy was edged out of the side for Kiawah Island at the 11th hour, the chances are less likely on this occasion.

McGinley's position is enhanced considerably by the advantage of more than 160,000 points which he holds over Phillip Price, who is in 10th place in the current table. And whatever about this week's USPGA Championship, in which he must make the cut to earn further points, he is certain of a useful return from next week's WPG-NEC Invitational at Firestone.

Playing only moderately this time last year, the Dubliner finished 23rd in the NEC for $60,000. At current values, this would be worth about 65,000 points, so pushing McGinley well clear of the magic, one-million point mark.

Incidentally, it should be noted the European qualification for Firestone this year, has been changed, with the top-12 in the Ryder Cup table next Sunday night eligible.

So, with no wish to tempt fate, it is virtually certain that Ireland will have three representatives at The Belfry next month. It will be recalled that Des Smyth, Christy O'Connor Jnr and John O'Leary were in the side at Laurel Valley in 1975, but a crucial difference is it was considerably easier to get into what was then a British and Irish line-up.

Against that background, the indications are that we are about to celebrate the greatest collective achievement by Irish players in tournament golf.

Meanwhile, deciding a rain-affected tournament at a par three, as happened in the Wales Open on Sunday, is not unprecedented in world golf. One recalls the Mercedes Championship of 1997 where, after play had been limited to 54 holes, Tiger Woods and Tom Lehman, the joint leaders, went into sudden death on La Costa's short seventh.

There, Woods almost had a hole in one to win with a birdie two.

Nor it is likely events last weekend will seriously affect Celtic Manor's bid for the 2009 Ryder Cup. Indeed, Ian Woosnam saw fit to launch his campaign to captain the European side on what would be home territory for him. "I know what it involves - just making people play well," he said with disarming simplicity.

"The Ryder Cup coming to Wales would transform our outlook. When I go to America and tell people I'm from Wales, they ask 'What part of Scotland is that?' I feel I can do the job."

Woosnam also indicated he would bring forward his captaincy aspirations, if the Celtic Manor bid, reported to be worth £62 million sterling , is turned down by the Ryder Cup committee when their decision for 2009 is made on September 26th. Either way, drainage problems at the Welsh venue would appear to be a minor detail, given that it is planned to build seven new holes.

And long-term plans are being outlined for other prospective captains. For instance, Nick Faldo is being earmarked for the Oakland Hills staging in 2003; Des Smyth, O'Connor Jnr and Darcy are the candidates for The K Club in 2005 and it is thought that Bernhard Langer would keep the pan-European lobby happy as the leader at Valhalla in 2007.

Finally, with all the talk about Celtic Manor, it was especially interesting that I should have got a video in the post yesterday morning, extolling the virtues of Slaley Hall, as a venue for 2009. And those who would dismiss the English challenge should note that Slaley Hall happens to be in the constituency of one Tony Blair MP.