McGinley makes Major return at US PGA

Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry will be at the US PGA in Rochester, New York, next week. Picture Stuart Adams www.golftourimages.comRyder Cup captains Paul McGinley and Tom Watson will be re-united again next week when they tee it up in the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill in New York.

The respective European and United States skippers have been officially invited to take part by the PGA of America.

It will be McGinley’s first appearance in a major four more than four years. His last appearance in a grand slam event came when he finished tied for 43rd in the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry.

The 46-year old Dubliner’s last US PGA appearance came in 2007 when he tied for 60th at Southern Hills in Tulsa.

McGinley has had just two Top-10 finishes in majors but both have come in the final major of the season. In 2001 when shared 10th spot behind David Toms at Atlanta Athletic Club while at Whistling Straits in 2004 he had his career best major finish of joint sixth, finishing two shots outside a playoff that was eventually won by Vijay Singh.

Ireland will have six golfers in the field in Rochester with defending champion Rory McIlroy joined by 2008 winner Padraig Harrington, world number eight Graeme McDowell, former Open champion Darren Clarke and Shane Lowry, who is 82nd in the world.