Paul McGinley dismisses Aussie Ryder Cup link

Victorious European captain Paul McGinley has poured scorn on suggestions that the USA needs to call in reinforcements for future Ryder Cups after slumping to an eighth defeat in the last ten matches at Gleneagles yesterday.

The 16½-11½ loss at the hands of McGinley’s men consigned the US to a third successive defeat in the biennial match, which has led some to suggest that the make-up of the opposition needs to change.

A partnership with Australia has even been mooted in some quarters. However, McGinley insists that is ‘absolutely not’ a route worth exploring.

“One thing the Americans are is very, very proud of their country,” said the outgoing European captain. “If you saw some of the American players like I saw backstage at the closing ceremony, there were tears in their eyes.

“They are very proud people. They will come back and they will galvanise themselves and they will come back very, very strong in two years’ time and we have to be ready for that. That’s what makes it great. Don’t underestimate America.”

He also dismissed concerns that interest in the Ryder Cup might wane if Europe continues to dominate the match.

“Anybody who witnessed that yesterday, there’s no reason to reason to say that this Ryder Cup has a chance of going down,” said McGinley. “Commercially, the Ryder Cup is going in one direction. From a media perspective, it’s going in one direction. The exposure and amount of people watching it throughout the world, the viewing figures are going up and up and up. There’s no valid reason to think that the Ryder Cup is on the decline because we are winning.”

“I think Stevie Gallacher’s first match, I would have loved to have had more time to get Ian Poulter ready for that role.” – Paul McGinley

McGinley spoke to the media this morning after getting to bed at around 3am – “I was one of the last to leave the team room,” he admitted – and he reiterated that he would not be canvassing for a second go at the captaincy in 2016.

Darren Clarke has been widely tipped to succeed him but, given the glowing terms in which his players spoke of him in the aftermath of the victory last night, there have been some suggestions McGinley could be tempted to stay on. Not so, according to the man himself. “Like a heavyweight fighter,” he said, “I’ll retire undefeated. Very happy.”

Whilst much of the immediate analysis of the match has centred around what McGinley got right and his opposite number Tom Watson got wrong, the modest Irishman doesn’t believe he got everything right at Gleneagles.

“I think Stevie Gallacher’s first match, I would have loved to have had more time to get Ian Poulter ready for that role,” he admitted. “Stevie was a late addition to the team in terms of picks.

“I was able to get Victor and Graeme on the same page. I controlled the draws on the European Tour during summer and, every time Graeme came to play in Europe, he played with Victor. They didn’t know what I was planning but I had planned that they would be partners. I had identified Graeme as taking a senior role. It’s a very, very difficult thing to do. Not many guys can pull it off.

“I wish I had more time . I wish I had more time to get him ready for that role and I could have drawn them a little bit more together during the year. I could have talked to him about it and evolved it like I did with Graeme.”

Paul McGinley :: Is he the greatest European captain of them all?

After leading Europe to a sensational victory over the US at Gleneagles over the weekend, is Paul McGinley destined to go down in history as the greatest European captain of all time? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor