Paul McGinley: “All pressure is on USA”

• Paul McGinley says it’s hard to bet against USA for Ryder Cup
• But questions where they’ll go if they lose after the task force
• “The buck stops with the players and task force,” he said

Victorious 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley believes it’s hard to bet against the USA – but says all the pressure is on them at Hazeltine.

Writing in his regular Captain’s Diary for Ballantine’s, the Irishman expects Davis Love III’s men to triumph on home soil, but wonders where the USA will go from here should they suffer a record fourth consecutive loss.

“The pressure is on them” – Paul McGinley

“The Americans are favourites to win the Ryder Cup and, losing eight out of the last 10 matches, they need a victory,” said Paul McGinley. “The pressure is on them.

“They’ve got the captain they wanted in Davis Love and the players have had a say in picking the four wildcards and with whom they want to be paired. The buck stops with the players and the task force.

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“Is it going to be a burden or something they will relish? And it’s quite clear Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will be big voices behind the scenes helping Davis.

“When you are having a revolution, a lot of things have to be tried that you haven’t tried before. Davis is not going to get all of them right. If they win, do they keep going with the task force? If they lose, what then? This Ryder Cup is a line in the sand for the Americans.”

The pairing of Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson was key for Paul McGinley at Gleneagles, with the duo racking up three points from a possible three, and the 49-year-old said he would be surprised if they weren’t teeing it up together first thing on Friday morning.

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“Due to the success Rose and Stenson had at Gleneagles, I would expect them to play together,” said McGinley. “Like Woosie and Faldo, and Seve and Ollie, when we find partnerships that work, we generally carry them through.

“It’s not just who you pair together, more important is the order” – Paul McGinley

“The odds are that Rose and Stenson will be the lead-off pair. If Darren does that, it would be quite predictable. So, is he going to know that and, as a result, not do it? Or is he going to say these are my best two off you go?

“Part of the skill of the captain is second-guessing your opponent. It’s not just who you pair together, more important is the order.”

With Paul McGinley, Ballantine’s have released a programme on their website called ‘Call the Shots’. It allows viewers to control the shot selection of McGinley from tee-to-green through a gamified learning experience. What’s more, it’s filmed at Archerfield Links.

Give it a go below.

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Paul McGinley :: Do you agree?

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