McGrane basks in Chinese limelight

Damien McGrane is defending the Volvo China Open title this week.Birthday boy Damien McGrane is hungry for more success as he enjoys his 15 minutes of fame in China.

Images of the Kells ace, who turned 38 on Monday, are plastered all over Beijing where he begins his defence of the Volvo China Open on Thursday.

McGrane’s face smiles down from billboards and even features on the key cards at his hotel.

And the Irishman is hoping to double up this week after a frustrating start to the season.

Joined in China by Paul McGinley, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Gareth Maybin, McGrane said: “I’ve enjoyed all the attention and seeing my picture everywhere. And I mean everywhere. It’s been good fun.

“It makes me feel special this week and it’s a nice reward for how I played last year. I hope I do as well this year."

McGrane is looking for some consistency after mixing two top four finishes with four missed cuts so far this year.

He said: “I’ve been playing okay but I haven’t been scoring at all. It’s been a little frustrating to be honest because my game is not that far away.

“Being defending champion, obviously I’m hoping it’ll pick me up and I’ll have adrenaline from the first tee.

“But it’s all new, and I'll take it as it comes, focus on my own game and my own golf like I have in the past and see what it all adds up to.”

Ryder Cup hero McGinley desperately needs a good week as he is 215th in the Race to Dubai after four missed cuts and a best finish of 54th from six starts this season.