GOLF: A return to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island for the World Cup last week harboured so many expectations, not least from the players themselves, but these were effectively dashed by Friday evening.
At one point they languished in 21st place of 24 teams, and after 36 holes had only improved marginally to 17th of the remaining 23.
Dogged by rank golf, the Irish combination could have been forgiven for switching to autopilot for the remainder of the tournament, but instead they took to the range. The practise bore fruit over the weekend with rounds of 66 and 67 which catapulted them into tied-fifth place alongside the United States.
Of greater import to the players was that both had rediscovered their respective games in the process, which was important psychologically for McGinley but in a more tangible way for Harrington. The latter still has plenty of golf to play this year before hanging up his clubs.
Harrington heads for Sun City in South Africa, Hong Kong and then the Target Challenge in California to defend the title he won last year.
Having struggled with his swing on Thursday and mental aberrations on Friday, he discovered the cure for both ills on the range and now believes his game is in good shape. His appetite for the golf that he will play in the coming six weeks should be strong.
Kiawah marked the end of McGinley's season. "I'm done now. I'll take eight weeks off and start again in the third week in January in South Africa. I'm going to take a break, go on a family holiday and then get down to doing some practice.
"I have work to do on my game; it's been an average year for me. I'm keen to play better next year. I'll be spending three weeks in Ireland over Christmas."
It was an especially trying opening 36 holes for McGinley. His short game was well below the standard and as a result his confidence visibly drained. The weekend provided a marked improvement, but he knows that the scope for improvement is pronounced.
Having been a Ryder Cup hero at the Belfry, the lure of next year's clash will be strong, but a strong start to the season is a must.
The World Cup tournament itself, won by the South African pair of Rory Sabbatini and Trevor Immelman, confirmed it is the poor relation of the World Golf Championship events.
The lack of a title sponsor, meagre crowds and the decision by several top players to miss it suggest that there is a great deal of work required before the tournament heads for Seville next year.
The Ocean Course proved a splendid, if imposing, backdrop, as Sabbatini revealed: "The golf course highlights your weak points and apparently there are quite a few in my game.
"It's a course where you can hit a good shot and be unfortunate and hit a bad shot and get lucky. I would say that the chances of getting lucky aren't good out there. After 72 holes on this golf course it wears you out mentally."
Sabbatini laughed when asked whether it would make a good venue for a strokeplay tournament. "I would not be playing, I wouldn't want anyone to see what I'd shoot. It's not very crowd friendly and you could end up with a seven-hour round, but it is one of the best golf courses that I have played."
By virtue of their victory it is possible that South Africa could have two teams in next year's World Cup. Immelman and Sabbatini are permitted to defend their title, and with two of their countrymen, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, higher on the world rankings than the victorious combination, they, too, are entitled to be selected.
For Immelman, though, there are more pressing concerns with his impending nuptials on December 6th, and the promise made to his fiancée prior to the tournament that he would give her as a wedding present the money that he won at the World Cup: €600,000 reasons for her to be happier.
