O'Grady makes presentation with McGinley [Getty]
The 44 year old from Dublin – who was presented with an engraved silver ice bucket by European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady to mark the occasion – is the third Irishman to reach the landmark, following in the footsteps of Eamonn Darcy, who made 610 appearances, and Des Smyth, veteran of 594 European Tour events.
McGinley’s first appearance was in the 1989 Irish Open as an amateur and he won his European Tour card at the 1991 Qualifying School, making his debut as a professional in the 1992 Johnnie Walker Asian Classic.
In the subsequent 19 years he has amassed more than €10million in prize money and won four European Tour titles, his first victory coming in the 1996 Hohe Brücke Open in Austria. He went on to capture the Oki Pro-Am the following the year in Madrid before defeating Paul Lawrie and Darren Lee in a play-off at the 2001 Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open.
His fourth and most significant career victory came in the 2005 season ending Volvo Masters, when he held off the challenge of Spaniard Sergio Garcia at Valderrama.
“The Volvo Masters was probably my biggest win and is a great highlight of my career,” he said.” I’d lost to Michael Campbell in the World Match Play final which hurt a lot so it was great to come back and win at Valderrama a month later. Losing to Michael is the one I really regret. He had just won the US Open and I was down the whole match which was played over 36 holes and I got him back to all square with six to play and then lost, having fought my way back. Anybody’s career has highs and lows though and going on to the Volvo Masters was a definite high.”
Perhaps his most notable achievement however has been his role in The Ryder Cup, where his fierce competitiveness came to the fore as he helped Europe to three consecutive victories over the United States, memorably holing the winning putt on his debut in 2002 at The Belfry.
“It’s been quite a successful period for European Tour players and I like to think that I’ve been part of that with our successes in The Ryder Cup, where we have turned the momentum from losing most Ryder Cups to winning most of them,” he said.
“Being part of the turning of the tide in Ryder Cup’s has been great. We won three in a row and they were the three that I played in. That has provided a base for the success that European players are now having in majors.
“Holing the winning putt in The 2002 Ryder Cup at the Belfry was probably the highlight of my career and is what I will be remembered for. I’ve played three Ryder Cups and I’ve never lost in a Seve Trophy Team or a Ryder Cup Team. It’s a great record and I’ve also never lost a singles match.
“Winning the World Cup with Padraig Harrington was a huge highlight for both of us too. To go on the world stage and win so early in our career was great. Particularly as we went to the same school and are from the same part of Dublin.”
McGinley has never been shy in showing his patriotism, with the image of the Irish flag drapped around him being one most memorable from The Belfry 11 years ago, and his compatriots have played a significant supporting part in his career.
“My first appearance as a pro was in Thailand and Des Smyth chaperoned me along with Eamonn Darcy and Christy O’Connor Jnr,” he said. “They did so for my first five years on Tour. I was great friends with Darren Clarke too and used to room with him a lot. He turned pro the year before me and we shared together for the first three or four years.
“It’s all changed really. Now I’m the one putting an arm around some of the younger Irish guys, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Gareth Maybin. I’m very patriotic so anything I can do to help them but it’s not just the Irish guys, I’ll help anybody. It’s not something I impose on people but if they need advice I’m around. “
Already a member of The European Tour’s Tournament Committee, McGinley’s increasing contribution as one of the senior players on the circuit was underlined by his impressive captaincy of the Great Britain & Ireland Team at the Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros in 2009. That led to him being named one of Colin Montgomerie’s Vice Captains at The 2010 Ryder Cup and McGinley has aspirations of leading Europe himself one day.
“I really enjoyed being captain at the Vivendi Trophy a couple of years ago and I got a lot out of that,” he said. “I’d like to think maybe if I got the opportunity to be a Ryder Cup Captain I’d love to do it. But that is a long way in the future yet. I still feel I have a lot of good golf to play over the next few years. I want to really get on with my golf career. I’ve enjoyed my years on Tour very much and can’t believe how quickly they’ve gone by. I just wish it was my 200th and not my 500th appearance!”
In fact McGinley’s achievement in reaching 500 European Tour appearances is testament to his remarkable tenacity, having battled a long standing knee injury that predates his professional career.
“I’ve missed quite a few events due to injury but I’ve always bounced back,” he said. “I guess it could have been even more than 500 appearances had it not been for the injuries. I’ve had seven surgeries over a 20 year period but I came into the game with the problem. It initially happened in Gaelic Football at 19 and I had on surgery before I came on Tour and then six on Tour.
“It’s a difficult injury for a golfer as you are always rotating on that left knee. I’ve had a lot of physio over the years but I’ve always bounced back. I’d like to think I can go on to make 600 appearances.”
PERSONAL PROFILE
FULL NAME Paul Noel McGinley
COUNTRY Ireland
BORN 16.12.66; Dublin, Ireland
RESIDENCE Sunningdale, England
HEIGHT/WEIGHT 5ft 7in 11st 7lb (170cm 73kgs)
FAMILY Wife: Alison (m. 1996); Children: Niamh (1999), Killian (2000), Maia (2002)
INTERESTS Football, West Ham Utd, music, Formula 1
TURNED PRO 1991 (plus 4)
Q. SCHOOL 1991
EUROPEAN TOUR CAREER RECORD (After 2011 Alstom Open de France)
EVENTS PLAYED 499
IN MONEY 365
TOP TEN FINISHES 79
CAREER EARNINGS €10,656,051
EUROPEAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE VICTORIES: Total 4
1996 Hohe Brücke Open
1997 Oki Pro-Am
2001 The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open (play-off)
2005 Volvo Masters
EUROPEAN TOUR APPROVED SPECIAL EVENTS VICTORIES: Total 1
1991 UAP Under 25’s Championship
OTHER TOURNAMENT VICTORIES: Total 4
1997 Irish PGA Championship
2000 Irish PGA Championship
2002 Smurfit Irish PGA Championship
2003 Smurfit Irish PGA Championship
RYDER CUP HISTORY
APPEARANCES 2002 (winners), 04 (winners), 06 (winners), 2010 (Vice Captain)
RYDER CUP RECORD Overall: Played: 9, Won: 2, Lost: 2, Halved: 5
TEAMS (PRO)
Ryder Cup 2002 (winners), 04 (winners), 06 (winners), 2010 (Vice Captain)
Alfred Dunhill Cup 1993, 94, 96, 97, 98, 99, 00
World Cup 1993, 94, 97 (winners), 98, 99, 00, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08
Vivendi SeveTrophy 2002 (winners), 05 (winners), 09 (Captain) (winners)
Royal Trophy 2006 (winners), 07 (winners), 09
TEAMS (AM)
Walker Cup 1991
Irish Youths, Seniors 1987-91
AWARDS
1996 Tooting Bec Cup
2005 European Tour Shot of the Year
2007 Tooting Bec Cup
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