• Ryder Cup

Meticulous McGinley will make Europe shine - Torrance

Rob Bartlett
September 23, 2014
Sam Torrance believes European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will have covered every angle © Getty Images
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The wait for Paul McGinley is almost over: at Gleneagles on Friday, Europe's Ryder Cup captain will embark on a weekend of decision-making, drama, despair and, he hopes, delirium.

McGinley will have thought about anything and everything says good friend and vice-captain Sam Torrance, who lifted the Ryder Cup both as a player and leader.

The latter came at The Belfry in 2002, when McGinley holed the winning putt on the 18th green to pry the trophy from America's hands. Now Europe's first Irish captain will attempt to join Torrance in that illustrious club.

How do you win the Ryder Cup?

  • "I can only tell you what I did," Torrance explains. "I didn't pay attention to anything the American's were doing. I didn't watch them hit a practise shot, I didn't watch any of the pairings or four-balls, I didn't hear what pairings they were putting out. I had nothing to do with it.
  • "You can pre-empt yourself doing that. Say you've got a player like Rickie Fowler - you might think 'Watson will put him out first with Jim Furyk'. That's your thinking: 'I've got a perfect pairing for them so I'll put them out first, no problem.'
  • "What if Watson doesn't do that and he puts them out fourth - you've then put out a team you didn't really want to go out first. You were busy thinking he would do something he didn't.
  • "It's a very simple process. You look at what are your best four pairings you can put out, you match them up and you play. You completely eliminate that thought process."

"Paul is an incredibly meticulous captain - he plans every last detail," Torrance told ESPN. "He's been up to check the course many times, to make sure everything he's asked to be done has been done.

"From his perspective, everything is done now. He'll be thinking about pairings but he'll be relaxed and ready for the final week. You can never switch off completely, but there is nothing structural to think about anymore. It's really just glamorising, pairings and dreaming about winning.

"He is great with people, the players love him and I have no doubt he will do a fantastic job."

To help him do so, McGinley possesses what Torrance believes is a remarkable team - both on and off the course.

Vice-captain Jose Maria Olazabal played in seven Ryder Cups, winning four times as a player as well as captaining Europe to the famous "Miracle of Medinah" win in 2012.

The cigar-smoking, crowd-pleasing Miguel Angel Jimenez is joyously eccentric but possesses the same meticulous nature as McGinley, while Padraig Harrington - an Open champion, four-time Ryder Cup winner and favourite among the Scottish fans- has already made a big impact in the European camp.

Paul McGinley sunk the winning putt for Europe when Sam Torrance captained the continent to victory at The Belfry in 2002 © PA Photos
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"Jose brings everything to a team," Torrance said. "There's no one, not in all the Ryder Cups I've known, who does anything more than him. He is an extraordinary human being and a fantastic man. He's just tremendous in the team and, believe me, he'll bring it all.

"He's a wonderful choice - so are Jimenez and Harrington. Paul has got a wonderful mix in his backroom team. That's important in so many ways.

"Walking out onto the tee, the crowd will see Jimenez and they will love him. That'll be massive for the European team and for the fans. Cigar, ponytail and everything else.

"Harrington, too. He's played in six Ryder Cups and has a wealth of experience. He's already said some great things Paul has told me about - I can't say what exactly, but it was very good. Paul said he was brilliant."

The strength of the European team impresses Torrance. So much so that he understood why Luke Donald, a Ryder Cup stalwart with a remarkable record against the Americans, had to be left out; it will have been McGinley's hardest decision as captain so far, he said.

Where will it be won?

  • The Ryder Cup returns to Scotland for the first time in 41 years as Perthshire prepares to host golf's most prestigious event.
  • The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles will prove a big test for both teams, but Torrance believes it has been well-shaped for the Europeans, who seek a third successive victory.
  • "The course looks fantastic and it's wonderful to have the Ryder Cup back in Scotland, the home of golf, at such a fantastic venue.
  • "Paul has visited the course several times and will have it in perfect condition for the Europeans.
  • "It's difficult to tell where it will be won or lost here - but the last four holes look exciting. I expect to see a few birdies on 15, 16, 17 and 18 over the weekend."

McGinley instead chose Ian Poulter, whose birdie putt and iconic roar on the 16th at Medinah inspired Europe's historic comeback in 2012.

Another wildcard choice was Stephen Gallacher; the Scot was born just five miles from Gleneagles but missed out on an automatic spot by one stroke after a remarkable performance at the Italian Open.Torrance believes those two, along with the newly svelte Lee Westwood, were the right choices.

"Poulter just gives everything, he's got the heart of a lion," Torrance said. "He's not scared of anybody and his game has come on song in the last month or so.

"He brings so much confidence to the team; he's full of life and positivity, which is great to have around. His performances on the course are enough to lift anyone.

"And Stephen virtually qualified. I know he wasn't part of that initial top nine but you could not have left him out after that performance in Italy - it was phenomenal.

"Stephen will take that with him too. He'll be thinking about that entire performance in Italy when he's playing in the Ryder Cup. What he did to get there; that self-belief is vital.

"All 12 of his [McGinley's] players shouldn't be lacking confidence because they've all got fantastic games. They've all earned their places. In the dark hours of a singles match or a four-ball, these players will remember what got them there."

Will it all make for a European victory, though?

"I think we're paper favourites, but paper means nothing. You must never underestimate your opponents - but I'm not going to say an American victory, am I?"

Vice-captain Sam Torrance led the team to victory in the competition in 2002 © Synergy
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Sam Torrance was speaking on behalf of Standard Life Investments, Worldwide Partner of The Ryder Cup. For more information visit standardlifeinvestments.com/rydercup

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
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