Papa McGinley back

Paul McGinley's hiatus from tournament golf has not damaged his aspirations for the season. In fact, the Dubliner, who returns to the fray at this week's Estoril Open at Penha Longa in Portugal, couldn't have planned his arrival into the state of fatherhood to occur at a better time in the European Tour schedule.

"I haven't played for seven weeks, the longest break I've had since I turned professional (in 1991)," said McGinley, "but in that time I've only missed three tournaments, quite small ones, and a number were on courses I don't particularly like anyway. I haven't really lost out at all." So, McGinley has been able to spend valuable bonding time with new baby daughter Niamh, and will resume competition refreshed, relaxed and keen to build on a solid start to the season which sees him occupy a place in the top 20 on the Order of Merit.

He will play three tournaments in succession - the Estoril Open, the Spanish Open and the Italian Open - before taking a week off and returning for the Benson and Hedges, the first of a three-tournament, big-money stretch in May.

"I'm looking forward to the rest of the year," he said. "At the start of the season, I didn't set myself any specific targets. I just set out to perform well, and anticipated that things would look after themselves if I concentrated on technical goals, like working on my putting and pitching. I've been working hard on that side of the game and the proof of the pudding is in how I've played." Whether he set out to make the Ryder Cup team or entertained such lofty ambitions, McGinley finds himself very much in the frame after using an early-season odyssey to South Africa to find his form and then secure a top-five finish in the Qatar Masters at the end of February to jumpstart his season.

He's 16th in Europe's Ryder Cup table, but he intends to keep to the same game plan and refuses to be distracted into working for any particular target. "It is all a consequence of playing well anyway," he stated. "I'm more concerned on the way that I'm performing week to week."

During his break from tournament play, however, McGinley didn't neglect his game. "To be honest, I've been practising pretty hard, working out in the gym, and I also played quite a few rounds of golf. I'm looking forward to returning to competition this week. "I've played in Penha Longa before (in the Portuguese Open in 1995, when Adam Hunter beat Darren Clarke in a play-off), and finished fourth or fifth there, so I know the course pretty well. It is a nice place to resume playing."

The field is without many of the European invaders to Augusta: in fact, Costantino Rocca is the sole category one player. McGinley will be joined by a strong Irish contingent that includes Philip Walton, Eamonn Darcy, John McHenry and Des Smyth. But Padraig Harrington, who officially opened the new four holes at Stackstown on Sunday, has delayed returning to the circuit until next week's Spanish Open at El Prat.

McGinley and Harrington, indeed, were reminded of their World Cup-winning performance at Kiawah Island in 1997 when they were last week presented with gold replicas of the trophy at a reception held by their respective sponsors, Church & General and Irish Life in Dublin. "Even now the memory of what we achieved brings back tremendous feelings," said Harrington.