Knee boost for McGinley
Paul McGinley is keeping his fingers crossed that his dodgy knee will not act up next season and ruin his Irish Ryder Cup dream
The double Ryder Cup hero decided at the weekend that he will not be undergoing surgery on his left knee next week as originally planned.
McGinley, 38, had planned to go under the knife in London on Monday.
But after seeking a second opinion with a Dublin consultant, he has opted to correct the niggling injury with exercise and physiotherapy.
He said: “I am not going to have the operation and I have informed the surgeon, Andy Unwin and he said that’s fine, there is no problem with that.
“After getting a second opinion I have decided that I am going to do some different exercises and more rehab.
“My surgeon said the same thing, in fairness to him. He wasn’t pushing me into the operation. He was leaving it up to me.
“He said it could be done and the same thing was said in Dublin. They said it can be done but it is not necessary. So, I have decided that seeing as it is not necessary, I won’t do it.
“Right now it’s fine, touch wood. So I will do the exercises and rehab and take care of it that way.”
McGinley has had two knee operations over the past three seasons and was not keen to face another lengthy lay-off period this winter.
The injury, which he described as being “like a tiny piece of grit that floats around and lodges in the joint”, has not given him problems recently.
The Dubliner’s best ever season ended on a low note when Ireland finished tied for 12th in the weather-curtailed World Cup in Portugal.
He is not scheduled to reappear until January, when he plays in Royal Trophy in Bangkok from January 5-8.
The event is a team matchplay clash between Europe and Asia with each team comprising eight players.
The World Cup result was McGinley and Harrington’s worst finish in the event since they finished tied for 14th in Japan in 2001.
A third round 64, eight under par, helped Ireland move into the top half of the field.
But al the damage was done on the opening day, when the finished eight shots off the pace after an erratic fourball performance
McGinley said: “At this level, the standard is so high that if you have one bad day, as we did, you just can’t make it up.
“The format doesn’t allow you to make it up because the standard is just so strong and in fourball the guys are always going to shoot low scores.”
Harrington will play his final event of the year, the Tiger Woods’ Target World Challenge event in California, from 7-11 December.