Today's
Headlines:
- Paul McGinley announced as Captain for the European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles in 2014
- Scotty Cameron and ProV1 could still be in McIlroy's bag WORLD EXCLUSIVE
- McIlroy, Woods and Kaymer to play together on Thursday and Friday
After
weeks, days and hours of intense speculation and conjecture, and a
meeting which went late into the evening in Abu Dhabi the European
Tour Tournament committee have voted unanimously to make Paul
McGinley the Captain for the European Ryder Cup team for the 40th
Ryder Cup matches, at Gleneagles in 2014. “It never came to a vote”
said Tournament committee chairman Thomas Bjorn, despite it seemingly
being so clear cut the meeting took over 2 hours and McGinley was
joined by Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle and Miguel Angel
Jimenez as those under consideration to lead Europe in Scotland.
McGinley
came into the room wearing a beaming smile as wide as the Irish sea,
a clear indication of a man who feels he has fulfilled a lifetime
dream to lead Europe in the Ryder Cup. At the end of the news
conference a tweet from USA Captain Tom Watson was read out
congratulating McGinley, he was visibly moved and it is quite clear
Europe has a leader who is as passionate as any to have ever held the
role. It was a unanimous decision in the committee meeting and he had
the overwhelming universal support of the players likely to be in
contention for his team in 16 months time when the race reaches its
crucial last four months.
As
much as I was fully behind Colin Montgomerie to take the reins in his
homeland, there can be no doubting the credentials of the eventual
successor to Jose Maria Olazabal. He has played in three Ryder Cups,
a member of the two greatest European teams ever in 2004 and 2006. He
holed the winning putt under the highest pressure in 2002 at the
Belfry, and he has coped with the pressure of the patriotic home
support, the kind of which Europe can expect in 2014. McGinley has
the universal respect of the players so his job will be much easier
and he has experience of captaining teams in the Seve Trophy,
including leading teams involving Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and
Rory McIlroy. “He is the best captain I have ever played under”
the World Number One Rory McIlroy said yesterday and today, it was
almost as if he was campaigning for the Irishman to be captain. But
it didn't need McIlroy's endorsement for McGinley to be chosen.
I
believe it is actually a very brave decision by the tour to select
McGinley ahead of a big name to take on a United States Ryder Cup
team lead by the iconic Tom Watson, they could easily have gone for
Monty but they actually did the sensible thing and selected the man
that has the full backing of the players and that will do things in
his own way. The Donegal man may not have the record of a Montgomerie
or the high profile, but he does have the passion for the Ryder Cup
and there can be little doubt that it is the right decision.
I
for one will now look forward to 2014 more than most, with Europe
being led by a golfer who grew up playing on a golf course I have
caddied on (Dunfanaghy, County Donegal), over a course which I have
played many times at a resort I have worked at. Gleneagles 2014 was
always going to be special and now the countdown is well and truly
on. In the red corner is the United States of America, led by golfing
icon Tom Watson, and in the blue corner is Europe, with its Irish
talisman at the helm. The Greatest Show in Golf is coming.
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WORLD EXCLUSIVE
During
the press conference Rory was asked whether he had the option to
use his Scotty Cameron Putter at all. For the majority of Tiger
Woods' time with Nike he continued to use the Scotty Cameron and
only since the 2010 Open has he used the Nike putter, and the
questioner was suggesting a possible similar scenario for Rory. He
said that he was really happy with the way the ball was rolling
off the club-face and was going to use the Nike Method putter, but
it was an answer shrouded in uncertainty, he didn't seem
convincing in his delivery.
And, I can exclusively
reveal that the option is on the table. Sources tell me that Rory
has 3 months and 6 months respectively where he can return to
using the Scotty Cameron Putter and the Titleist Ball. It seems
that the Number One ball in golf and the Number One player in golf
could, just maybe, still have a future together.
This sort of
thing happens regularly as players try to adapt to a new putter,
with the putter and the ball being a very particular piece of
equipment for a top professional it is certainly not uncommon for
players to outwardly promote a product whilst using one that they
are more comfortable with. McIlroy has used the Titleist putters
and balls for his entire career including amateur competition, so
despite practising with the Nike 20XI X it would be of no surprise
to anyone if the World Number One used the Titleist ball again,
especially if things don't go as planned over the next few events.
I
can also reveal that the spectacular advert
launched by Nike featuring Rory and Tiger took place with the
wonders of modern technology, as both filmed the ad at separate
times to each other. The
combination of the underlying contract issues and the fact that
the ad is digitally enhanced makes it all seem something its not
quite as rosy as it seems on the outside, but these things do tend
to go on with every new deal between a company and a major star.
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McIlroy
joined Tiger Woods and Justin Rose for a special launch photo-call
for the 2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship this morning in Abu
Dhabi and Woods and McIlroy will play together for the first two
rounds along with 3-time champion Martin Kaymer, they will tee-off at
7.40am local time on Thursday from the 10th tee (3.40am
GMT, 10.40pm EST). Jason Dufner, Francesco Molinari and Branden Grace
will precede the star pairing at 7.30am (10), Justin Rose will be
joined by Ernie Els and defending champion Robert Rock in the star
group of the afternoon starting at 12.05pm local time (8.05am GMT,
3.05am EST).
The
prospect of McIlroy, Woods and Kaymer playing together is one which
should excite everyone in golf and especially the European Tour as it
makes the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship the centre of global
golfing attention, launching a series of tournaments comparable with
any in the Florida Swing on the PGA Tour. The
global nature of the field is confirmed by the 120 players
representing Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Denmark,
England, Spain, Finland, France, Germany, India, Republic of Ireland,
Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay,
Portugal, South Africa, Scotland, Sweden, Thailand, United Arab
Emirates, United States and Wales – 27 countries from 6 continents.
You
can watch a preview of the 2013 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in
European Tour Weekly tomorrow at 6.30pm GMT on Sky Sports 2
Wednesday's
blog will look at the issues of the day and discuss whether golf
needs a new Major or WGC in Australia in the week when the first
Grand Slam of the Tennis season got underway.
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