GOLF: Paul McGinley joined Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke to complete an Irish triumvirate that will form an integral part of the European team for the Ryder Cup clash with the USA at Oakland Hills from September 17th-19th.
Harrington and Clarke had already qualified but McGinley secured his place with a character-laden performance at the BMW International at the Munchen Nord-Eichenried golf course, eventually finishing in a tie for sixth place and thereby confirming the final automatic berth available in the European Ryder Cup listings.
The tension of the occasion was exacerbated by the knowledge that European team captain Bernhard Langer would announce his two wildcard selections for Oakland Hills after the day's play. The German plumped for Colin Montgomerie and Luke Donald but there was heartbreak for Freddie Jacobson who finished one spot outside the five places available in both the World points and Ryder points listings.
Langer also announced that Denmark's Thomas Bjorn would join his backroom team for the match as an assistant captain.
Ironically McGinley was paired with Jacobsen for yesterday's final round in Munich, the man who could have taken away the Irishman's ambitions of a coveted second successive Ryder Cup match. McGinley, the hero of The Belfry in 2001 when he holed the winning putt that clinched the trophy, described a gruelling duel that resembled a matchplay rather than strokeplay contest.
"I knew it was going to be a tough day. Freddie is a real tough competitor, he said. "He's a scrapper, and they are the guys that are always tough to fight against in a situation like that.
"I tried to do as best I could to jump ahead. That was my focus, try to take it off my match against Freddie. It was obviously a very difficult thing to do and it really boiled down to quite a lot of match-play between the two of us.
"This (team) is something I really wanted to make. Am I proud of myself? Yeah, of course I'm proud of myself. But anything I say after that will be arrogance and I certainly don't want to be arrogant. It's been a roller-coaster ride the last six weeks. I had the leash between my teeth like a dog, I didn't want to let it go and fortunately I just held on to it long enough."
The Dubliner had to endure hitting the grandstand at the final hole and kicking back into the water hazard. He demonstrated remarkable composure to pitch and putt for his par. Even then he knew that Jacobsen would have a putt to join Montgomerie in third place overall and in doing so make the team.
Only when the final putt went in could McGinley look forward to Oakland Hills. "It obviously means a lot. I had such a great experience the last time. I've said it before but it wasn't just because I holed the winning putt. It was the bonding effect with the players on the team. It was the bonding with the captain. It was one of those things in your life that I will always remember.
"The putt was fantastic, and of course I'll always remember it for that. The big memory that comes away from me was the bonding with everybody. I'm looking forward to that again, very much so. I played a lot of football as a kid and it's one thing I really miss about football is the team atmosphere, the team spirit, the team meetings, everybody pulling for each other. I'm looking forward to being part of Bernhard's team."
Langer's decision to opt for Montgomerie as one of his two wild-card picks was predictable, especially after the Scot's third-place finish in Germany.
Montgomerie admitted: "I was never 100 per cent sure but I was thinking positively when I went in to see him.
"Bernhard knew what I could do because he played with me and felt that I could help the team. It's been a tough time for me but it's great for me personally."
Luke Donald didn't even hang around to hear the news personally, instead receiving a text message when he got off a place in Switzerland.
The 26-year-old Englishman admitted: "To play in the Ryder Cup is a dream.
"It's something I have wanted to do ever since I turned professional and to get the chance now is amazing. I know I have played in the Walker Cup (seven wins from eight matches) and played a lot in America but can only imagine that the pressure will be totally different to anything I have experienced: but I am really looking forward to it."
Donald's inclusion ahead of Jacobson may be primarily attributable to the venue Oakland Hills, a course that requires accuracy off the tee. The Swede is one of the top-10 putters in the US Tour listings but Donald hits far more fairways and greens than his rival.
Langer's team includes five debutants, the English quartet of Paul Casey, David Howell, Ian Poulter and Donald and lone Frenchman Thomas Levet.
For McGinley this was his 10th successive event as he struggled to secure his place. "My whole life has been on hold," he said afterwards. "I've made a dash for the line, and finally succeeded."
