Ryder Cup will be best yet, says McGinley

GOLF - Tour news: Paul McGinley believes this month's Ryder Cup will be played in a festival atmosphere unlike anything the event has ever seen.

Speaking at the Singapore Open in Pereira yesterday. McGinley said: "There will be many pints drunk that week and we'll put on a party like we've never had a party before at the Ryder Cup.

"The players won't be partaking for obvious reasons but we will on Sunday night one way or another.

"In my view, the Ryder Cup is the third biggest sporting event in the world behind the football World Cup and the Olympics.

"I think we will put on a great show and make our country proud."

For McGinley the desire to win the biennial challenge on home soil will provide added motivation.

"From my point of view, it's about winning," stated the Dubliner, who sank the winning putt at the Belfry in Europe's victory in 2002.

"It would be tough to go there and not win the Ryder Cup in my own country.

"It will be a close-fought affair, but as long as we come out on top I'll be very happy."

Having already played in two victorious Ryder Cup teams, McGinley is delighted to have earned a spot in the European squad once more.

However, he spared a thought for Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, who was overlooked by European skipper Ian Woosnam for selection as one of the captain's wild-card picks.

"I qualified for the team and I'm more than happy to be on the team and play my part," said McGinley. "I would have been disappointed to miss out too because the Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events in the world and to be so close and not make it is gut-wrenching.

"But Thomas is a world-class player and he will bounce back. He'll have great days ahead, there's no doubt about it."

McGinley is competing this week at the richest national open in Asia, which has a purse of $1.65million.

The Asian Tour event is taking place on the Serapong course at the Sentosa Golf Club.

Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia yesterday insisted Michelle Wie's appearance in the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre today was "good for the game".

European Tour chief executive George O'Grady has previously described the practice of women playing in men's events as a "gimmick", and to date the only woman to play in a European Tour event, England's Laura Davies, finished second last in the 2004 ANZ Championship in Australia.

Jean van de Velde famously demonstrated his feelings on the issue by asking for an entry form for the British Women's Open, the Frenchman claiming he would "shave his legs and wear a kilt" if necessary.

Some members of the tour's rank and file dislike Wie taking the place of a player who could be struggling to retain their card for next season, where the money they could earn this week might make all the difference.

But Garcia can see the bigger picture and realises anything which increases interest in the game will keep sponsors happy - the kind of sponsors who put up this week's $1.4 million prize money and pay for such extras as the fleet of courtesy cars which transport the players and free food in the players' lounge.

"Anything that helps the game of golf is good, no matter what," said Garcia, who played a practice round with Wie on Tuesday ahead of the defence of his title.

"It might not help the guy she takes the spot from this week, but it might help him in the future.

"When I see Michelle or Annika Sorenstam playing on a golf course I don't see them as a female player, I see them as golfers."

Wie has made just one halfway cut in nine previous outings in men's events - in Korea earlier this year -and has been drawn to play with England's Nick Dougherty and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano in the first two rounds.