Nobody can fault Paul McGinley's work ethic in his quest to win a place on Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's encounter with the United States at Oakland Hills.
Playing the 12th tournament in a 13- week stretch, the Dubliner's tied-sixth finish in the US PGA - his best finish in a major - moved him up to ninth place in the European points list, currently giving him the last automatic spot on the team for Detroit with two counting tournaments remaining.
As things stand, McGinley - who can copper fasten his position with another good performance at this week's NEC Invitational in Akron, where a number of his chief rivals are not eligible to play - would make the team by right. But, if he should slip out of the automatic places in the next two weeks, then his World Cup winning partner Padraig Harrington believes he is entitled to one of Bernhard Langer's wild cards.
"Paul's the guy in form," said Harrington. "Every week he is up there. The way he is playing is giving Bernhard more options but, at this stage, he deserves to be picked, although he could qualify anyway. He's the guy in form, the guy with experience. What more could you ask for?"
McGinley has moved to 68th in the latest world rankings but, more significantly, has jumped from 14th to ninth in the European points list. With five places on Langer's team from the world points list being secured at the end of the NEC, the remaining five places - from the European list - will be determined after the BMW International in Munich next week.
Currently, McGinley - in ninth - has the last automatic place, just 49,162 points ahead of 10th-placed Jean Francois Remesy. However, the Frenchman is not qualified to play at Akron, and neither are David Howell and Ian Poulter, the two players immediately ahead of McGinley in the points table. So, if he continues his good form, which has seen him take three top-10 finishes from his last four tournaments, McGinley can go a long way towards ensuring automatic selection.
The situation, however, is complicated by the world points list. For instance, Lee Westwood currently has a place on the Ryder Cup team . . . but Fredrik Jacobson is only eight points behind him going into the NEC and, if the Swede should pass him, then Westwood would secure his place from the European points table.
Still, McGinley was naturally cock-a-hoop on departing Whistling Straits after his best finish in a major - previously, his best position was tied-14th in the 1996 British Open - and Harrington was wholehearted in his praise. "There are two things you mainly look for going into the Ryder Cup . . . one is experience, and the other is someone who is playing good and Paul is doing both of those. He's been playing great the last two months.
"I believe the team is getting stronger as it takes shape. All of the players playing for the bottom spots on the team are in good form, and that augurs well.
"Those are the guys who always give so much to the Ryder Cup when it comes round; they're the ones in form, they're the ones who have been under pressure for a few months, and they're the ones who usually come up trumps in the Ryder Cup.
"If you look back to the Peter Bakers, the David Gilfords, in the past, they're the guys in form who do the business. I think we're underdogs, as we always are, and we will stay in that position. But it suits us. We'll see what we can do when we get there," said Harrington.
Darren Clarke, who defends his NEC Invitational title at Akron, was also of the opinion that McGinley would add something to the European team. "I think he'd be very beneficial," remarked Clarke, who envisaged that McGinley could well pair up with Harrington at Oakland Hills.
Naturally, he was disappointed with his closing round 76 for 284 which left him in tied-13th place in the PGA. "I didn't plan on going out there and shooting 76, but I just couldn't get anything going," said Clarke. "My intention was to try and get myself into contention on the Sunday and I was almost there. If I'd kept going and things had gone my way, I'd have been right there. But they didn't. However, my attitude's good and I'm looking forward to Akron."
For his part, Harrington was not just disappointed with his finish in the PGA but with the season's four majors overall. "Such is life," he said, "I can't do much about it now. My game is good, I've no issue with that and my shoulder is fine. I just need to sharpen up, I didn't chip and putt well (at Whistling Straits)." Of his final round, when he shot a 78 for 289 to be tied-45th, Harrington remarked: "It was just one of those days. I was pushing too hard, playing too aggressive all day. I didn't think there was much point in protecting a five-under score. I felt I was playing well so I tried to push it and once I slipped up a bit I kept pushing and pushing and never recovered anything. But I believe my game is good, and I am looking forward to the NEC."
