McGinley pulling for lesser European lights in Tucson
Joost Luiten practices at Dove Mountain on Tuesday. Picture: Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ie
European Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley is not going to tie himself up in knots studying the form of his potential team members at this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play in Tucson.
But as he analyses play for Sky Sports from London this week, he'll be keeping his eye out for some of the lesser lights and watching their progress as they play more US Tour events over the coming months.
"I will be observing it again but I am not going to get infatuated by it or get completely immersed in it," McGinley said. "I am not going to be making decisions based on whether a guy wins a match in Tucson or wins two or three matches.
"It will be a pointer for me but it won’t be something that I will live and die by. Of course, I am interested in it. I am interested to see how the young guys like Jamie Donaldson, Victor Dubuisson and Joost Luiten get on over in America and the traction they can achieve in the US over the next three or four months.
"They are well established in Europe now and there next level is to compete in major fields whether they be world events, majors or PGA Tour events. That’s the next level for them prove themselves. They have proved themselves everywhere else.
"So I will be wishing them well and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them has a good week here or there."
With 16 first round matches pitting Europeans against Americans, McGinley will be as interested in the likes of Harris English as Jordan Spieth or Matt Kuchar.
"Everybody is talking about Jordan Spieth but Harris English is higher in the rankings. And Jimmy Walker is higher in the rankings. The fact that Spieth played the Presidents Cup last year puts him on the radar but Harris English is a player everyone speaks highly of. Billy Horschel is another young kid they are talking about.
"They will have rookies in their team, no doubt. We will have rookies too, we always have had and I have no reason to believe this will be any different."
The practice ground at Dove Mountain.
As for the struggles of players such as Lee Westwood or Luke Donald, McGinley is not getting involved.
"I am leaving them alone," he said. "They are well experienced at this stage. I am just the Ryder Cup captain and I’m not telling them what to do.
"I am observing them and I will be delighted to see any of them playing well. But it is not my business.
"I am Ryder Cup captain, not God. I don’t all of a sudden have to have massive communication with everybody.
"I am just observing. They have their teams around them and they are making their decisions. Of course I will have conversations with them and I will be encouraging them.
"It will all reveal itself over the next six months. All will be revealed in time, majors will come and guys will win points.
"The Majors offer double points for the American and we can see that Bubba Watson is starting to get into position now and Kuchar, Snedeker and players like that will come to the fore as the season goes on. There is no point in making big decisions now. All will come good."
There are 25 Europeans and 28 Americans in action this week with 16 matches pitting Europe against the USA
07:25 AM Match 1 Ian Poulter, ENG vs Rickie Fowler, USA
07:45 AM Match 3 Bubba Watson, USA vs Mikko Ilonen, FIN
07:55 AM Match 4 Keegan Bradley, USA vs Jonas Blixt, SWE
08:25 AM Match 7 Jordan Spieth, USA vs Pablo Larrazabal, ESP
08:35 AM Match 8 Thomas Bjorn, DNK vs Francesco Molinari, ITA
08:45 AM Match 9 Sergio Garcia, ESP vs Marc Leishman, AUS
08:55 AM Match 10 Bill Haas, USA vs Miguel A. Jimenez, ESP
09:05 AM Match 11 Dustin Johnson, USA vs Peter Hanson, SWE
09:15 AM Match 12 Victor Dubuisson, FRA vs Kevin Streelman, USA
09:25 AM Match 13 Jason Day, AUS vs Thorbjorn Olesen, DNK
09:35 AM Match 14 Jamie Donaldson, WAL vs Billy Horschel, USA
09:45 AM Match 15 Matt Kuchar, USA vs Bernd Wiesberger, AUT
09:55 AM Match 16 Ryan Moore, USA vs Joost Luiten, NED
10:25 AM Match 19 Graeme McDowell, NIR vs Gary Woodland, USA
10:35 AM Match 20 Hideki Matsuyama, JPN vs Martin Kaymer, DEU
10:45 AM Match 21 Brandt Snedeker, USA vs David Lynn, ENG
11:15 AM Match 24 Luke Donald, ENG vs Matteo Manassero, ITA
11:25 AM Match 25 Rory McIlroy, NIR vs Boo Weekley, USA
11:35 AM Match 26 Lee Westwood, ENG vs Harris English, USA
11:55 AM Match 28 Hunter Mahan, USA vs Gonzalo Fenz-Castano, ESP
12:05 PM Match 29 Henrik Stenson, SWE vs Kiradech Aphibanrat, THA
12:25 PM Match 31 Justin Rose, ENG vs Scott Piercy, USA
12:35 PM Match 32 Ernie, Els, ZAF vs Stephen Gallacher, SCO
