 |
| Getty Images |
Paul McGinley has welcomed support from Europe's leading players tipping him as the main contender to replace Jose Maria Olazabal as captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Ryder Cup-winning duo Peter Hanson and Rory McIlroy have both backed McGinley, one of Olazabal's vice-captains at the magical Medinah triumph last weekend, for the top role after the Spaniard confirmed that he will not be not standing for the post again.
McGinley has a distinguished history in team golf, playing in successful Ryder Cup campaigns from 2002 to 2006 and holing the winning putt as a rookie at the Belfry 10 years ago.
The 45-year-old has also captained Great Britain and Ireland to victories in the past two Seve Trophy tournaments with world No.1 McIlroy saying: "He was fantastic there and has also been a fantastic vice-captain."
Asked about the possibility of replacing Olazabal, McGinley told Sky Sports: "Listen, it's a great honour for anyone who becomes Ryder Cup captain, there's no doubt about that and I'm not going to say otherwise. But ultimately it's not up to me, it's for other players to decide.
"Rory came out the other day saying it (backing me) but we'll just have to wait and see how things evolve over the next few months and down the line. All I can say is, I've captained Great Britain and Ireland twice before and I thoroughly enjoyed it."
Speaking on Europe's remarkable turnaround against America in Chicago, McGinley praised Olazabal's tactics throughout the event.
He added: "Normally we're so strong on the first two days then the Americans are strong in the singles but it was actually turned on its head last week. I think Ollie's decision to play all 12 players the first day didn't benefit us the first two days but we certainly got that kick back on the Sunday."
Sweden's Hanson, who failed to pick up a point for Europe in their 14½-13½ triumph, added his support to McGinley's case for the position.
He said: "One guy that did a big, big job in the backroom was Paul McGinley. Paul did a fantastic job, He knows everything about all the previous Ryder Cups with all the records. He is really the guy that in the backroom really helped out, so I would love to see Paul be a captain."
No comments:
Post a Comment