Rory Banks on Strong Finish

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Rory McIlroy is determined to finish a disappointing season with a flourish as he prepares for the defence of his Deutsche Bank Championship title.

The 24-year-old carded a pair of 67s over the weekend at TPC Boston last year to pip Louis Oosthuizen by a shot, and he then clinched the BMW Championship title six days later.

But he has yet to record a victory this season and is currently languishing at 36th in the FexExCup standings, and missing the cut in Boston could eliminate him from the final two events of the play-offs.

"These next few events are a good opportunity to get something good out of the season," said McIlroy, who has slipped from first to fourth in the world rankings.

The two-time major champion has at least shown an improvement in form over the last two months, finishing eighth at the PGA Championship and 19th at The Barclays last week, including a second round of 65.

"It feels much better," McIlroy said when asked to compare his game now to two months ago.

Control

"I've got the ball under control. I'm not as comfortable with my game as I was this time last year, but I'm in enough control that if I get on a nice run I can do well these next few events."

World No 1 and FedEx Cup leader Tiger Woods is set to compete in Boston despite the back injury which literally brought him to his knees in the final round last week.

Woods pulled out of a charity event organised by friend and former Stanford team-mate Notah Begay on Wednesday but was fit enough to take his place in the pre-tournament pro-am.

Ian Poulter needs a strong week in Boston to remain in the play-offs as he is currently 77th in the standings with only the top 70 advancing to the BMW Championship in Chicago.

The top 30 after that event will then play for the FedEx Cup and the $10m bonus in the Tour Championship in Atlanta the following week.

Just 28 players in this week's 100-strong field have already secured a place in the BMW Championship, leaving 42 places up for grabs.

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Hoey Enjoys Lamborghini Challenge

Michael Hoey roared into the car park of the Galgorm Castle Golf Club for the Northern Ireland Open Challenge presented by Clannah and XJET in a Lamborghini.

Hoey, who recently won his fifth European Tour title at the M2M Russian Open, is this week’s star attraction in his native Northern Ireland as he returns to his Challenge Tour roots to help further promote the game in his homeland. 

He certainly turned a few heads as he drove through the gates at Galgorm in his Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera LP570-4, a piece of machinery that can reach 62mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 202 miles per hour. 

“I have never driven anything like that before. I get it for the week and it is brilliant,” smiled Hoey, who is looking in the best physical shape of his career after embarking on a gluten-free diet on the advice of his nutritionist. 

“There is obviously a bit of a peacock element in driving a car like that which anyone who know me will know makes me a wee bit uncomfortable but it is just an amazing car to drive. 

“Everywhere you go people are looking at you though, or even taking pictures of you driving around. I have seen loads of people driving and taking pictures as I pass them! 

“The company that owns the cars – Supercar-Experiences – have always sponsored events here at Galgorm and they thought it would give them a bit of extra publicity to give me the car for the week. 

“It is pure adrenaline. I obviously had quite a few new friends the other day when I got the car and I must have taken ten people out for a spin and the adrenaline rush you get from driving it is unbelievable.” 

Hoey, and the rest of the field, will be looking for their own adrenaline injections on the golf course this week as they do battle for the lion’s share of the €170,000 prize fund.

Among the most notable names at Galgorm Castle will be European Tour winner Nick Dougherty and former Ryder Cup player Oliver Wilson, while Galgorm’s own Gareth Shaw will hope to replicate the form that saw him finish fifth at the Irish Open in June around his home track.

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Captain McGinley Watches Over Field

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European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has said he will not be afraid to blood inexperienced youngsters in his team for next year's contest.

The Irishman, a five-times Ryder Cup winner as player and vice-captain, will have three wildcard picks for his 12-man team, with several Ryder Cup rookies among Europe's form players.

Italy's Matteo Manassero, Sweden's Jonas Blixt and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen are all ranked in the world's top 50 and will be pushing for inclusion while Scotland's Martin Laird and England's Chris Wood have tour wins in 2013.

"The quality of golf on The European Tour now is phenomenal and there's a lot of young players who are ready to step up to Ryder Cup standard," McGinley said on the European Tour website.

"I'm not afraid of having rookies on the team, and if those guys step up to the plate and play really well, I'll be delighted to welcome them to the team.

"Generally, all I'm concerned about at the end of the day is having the 12 strongest players to represent Europe at this time next year.

"We had a situation a couple years ago where Alvaro Quiros won the Dubai World Championship and ended up not making the Team. So even though you may have a big win, it doesn't necessarily mean you're going to make the Ryder Cup Team.

"Ultimately I'm looking for the guys who have played the best over the 12-month period and I have absolutely no hesitation about having rookies on the team or picking a rookie. Generally what I want is players who are playing the best."

McGinley will compete this week at the Wales Open, keeping an eye on the early contenders for a place in his team for the biennial clash against the United States which is taking place in Scotland next year.

The Irishman, who has been a popular figure on previous teams, said he would be ruthless in order to help Europe win at Gleneagles for the eighth time in the last 10 Ryder Cups.

"I understand that along the journey that all captains take, some tough decisions have to be made," McGinley added.

"Some have been made already and some will be made going forward. I'm prepared for that and I'm prepared for the fact that not everybody is going to agree with my decisions.

"I've been very fortunate, I've been involved in five of the last six Ryder Cups, and we won all five that I was involved in (three as a player, two as vice-captain). I've seen the template, I've seen what works and I just want to make that template better and roll it out again," he said.

"I'll meet any challenges I have head on and I understand that not everybody is going to be in agreement with the decisions that I make."

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Shaw Ready for Galgorm Challenge

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Gareth Shaw is hoping to take full advantage of his home track at Galgorm Castle Golf Club as he leads a 27-strong Irish contingent into the €170,000 Northern Ireland Open Challenge, presented by Clannah and XJET.

Shaw, who grabbed some serious headlines in his homeland with a fifth place finish in the Irish Open back in June, will have an army of home support willing him to succeed this week with an estimated crowd of 30,000 expected to flock through Galgorm’s gates over the next four days. 

“I’m looking forward to competing at home and on a course I am familiar with. Hopefully the home support will feed in with family, friends and my coaches around this week. My game is very solid and it’s a great opportunity,” said Shaw.

“I won the Ulster Youths here in ’96, and then finished in a tie for third here a couple of years ago in the EuroPro event a couple of years ago, so I have a decent bit of experience.

“You’ve got to be able to hit the ball how you want it. It’s a good course, very fair. The fairways are pretty wide in spots but if you hit bad tee shots you get punished and the greens are excellent.”

The Northern Ireland Open will also host top European players such as Portugal’s José-Felipe Lima, who is second on the Challenge Tour Rankings with €91,842. 

Lima has been so consistent all season and, with no less than eight top 10 finishes, including tied third at last week’s Rolex Trophy, he has already secured his European Tour card for next season. 

Lima is closely pursued by Italy’s Andrea Pavan and the French duo of Victor Riu and François Calmels. 

Should Calmels triumph at Galgorm he would gain automatic promotion to the main tour with three wins this season. Australia’s Daniel Gaunt, who is familiar with Galgorm having finished runner-up in a previous EuroPro Tour event, is another man to watch over the coming days.

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McGinley Honour at Celtic Manor

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Paul McGinley, the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, will have the honour of striking the opening shot on Thursday morning as the race for Ryder Cup points begins in the ISPS Handa Wales Open.

The Celtic Manor Resort, the scene of the European Team’s dramatic victory in 2010, provides the perfect setting this week as the battle commences to clinch the nine automatic spots in Paul McGinley’s 12-man team for The 2014 Ryder Cup.

The Irishman will lead from the front at the first tee alongside the 2012 Qualifying School winner John Parry and 2012 Challenge Tour Number One Espen Kofstad.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be striking the first shot in the race for The 2014 Ryder Cup,” said McGinley. “While I have obviously ruled myself out of the running to battle for a place in the team, as the Captain and the leader I am extremely proud to lead the lines for my prospective team members.

“There is going to be fierce competition for those nine spots and I'm sure there are many players at The Celtic Manor Resort this week with their eyes focused firmly on a place in my team. 

“It also gives me great pleasure to hit the first shot of the tournament, as this is always been a special event for me, especially since my victory here at The Celtic Manor Resort in 2001.”

McGinley will be joined by two players who know all about making the grade in high-pressured qualification processes, with Parry having won Qualifying School in December of last year to claim the first card for The 2013 Race to Dubai.

Kofstad, meanwhile, produced a magnificent performance on the final day of the 2012 Challenge Tour Grand Final to claim the title and in the process seal a rookie season on The European Tour.

Thongchai Jaidee will begin the defence of his title at 13:15 playing alongside 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke and Spain’s Rafa Cabrero-Bello.

Other groups which catch the eye include the 08:05 group of Spaniards Miguel Angel Jiménez and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño and Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen, who start on the 11th tee.

Last week’s winner on The European Tour at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, Tommy Fleetwood, plays in the group immediately afterwards - on the 11th tee at 08:15 - alongside 2010 Ryder Cup European team member Francesco Molinari and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen.

One of the home hopes and the course record-holder at The Celtic Manor Resort, Rhys Davies, will play alongside American Peter Uihlein and Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin.

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