• Ryder Cup

McGinley not afraid to be ruthless

McGinley hit the opening tee shot of the Wales Open - the first Ryder Cup qualifying event © Getty Images

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Often cast as golf's Mr Nice Guy, Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has insisted that he is ready to be ruthless with his decision making at the Gleneagles showdown next year.

McGinley has been a popular member of teams in the past, both as a player and vice-captain, but the Irishman says he will not be afraid to upset people when it comes to team selections and pairings.

"I understand that along the journey that all captains take, some tough decisions have to be made," McGinley told the European Tour website. "Some have been made already and some will be made going forward. I'm prepared for that and I'm prepared for the fact that not everybody is going to agree with my decisions.

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• It's a curious thing, being a Ryder Cup captain. The prestige attached to the role has never been greater, and to carry a team to victory is to be held aloft on a continental pedestal, but the vast majority of the work is just ceremony.
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"I've been very fortunate, I've been involved in five of the last six Ryder Cups, and we won all five that I was involved in. I've seen the template, I've seen what works and I just want to make that template better and roll it out again.

"I'll meet any challenges I have head on and I understand that not everybody is going to be in agreement with the decisions that I make."

McGinley hit the opening tee shot in the race to qualify for Gleneagles at the Wales Open, where he will keep a close eye on players hoping to make their case for a place in the biennial event next September.

"The quality of golf on the European Tour now is phenomenal and there are a lot of young players who are ready to step up to Ryder Cup standard," he added.

"I'm not afraid of having rookies on the team, and if those guys step up to the plate and play really well, I'll be delighted to welcome them to the team. Generally, all I'm concerned about at the end of the day is having the 12 strongest players to represent Europe at this time next year.

"We had a situation a couple years ago where Alvaro Quiros won the Dubai World Championship and ended up not making the team. So even though you may have a big win, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to make The Ryder Cup Team.

"You still have to play extremely well. Alvaro had a pretty decent season the year after, but it just shows you it has to be a phenomenal season for 12 months in order to make the team, and that's just one case in point.

"Ultimately I'm looking for the guys who have played the best over the 12-month period and I have absolutely no hesitation about having rookies on the team or picking a rookie. Generally what I want is players who are playing the best."

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