Irishman Paul McGinley will captain the European Ryder Cup team in 2014 at Gleneagles (Scotland), where he will try to retain the title he won at Medinah last September under the leadership of José María Olazábal.
The appointment, which was made public in Abu Dhabi, has crowned the 46-year-old Irishman as captain, who beat the other candidate, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, in the vote. McGinley has been European vice-captain in the last two editions and also has experience as a player.
“I’m very excited to hear the decision and to be on the team. I can’t wait to start my job and be around the players,” said McGinley at the press conference, whose job will be difficult after the incredible comeback Olazabal’s boys pulled off at Illnois.
In addition, the decision was based on the Irishman’s experience in group management. McGinley led, as captain, Great Britain and Ireland’s triumph over continental Europe in the Seve Trophy group event in 2009 and 2011.
As a player he played the Ryders from 2002 to 2006 and won each of them. In addition, McGinley has four European Tour titles and a long career with participations in the most prestigious tournaments. His captaincy seemed clear because his opponent had already been captain.
In fact, Europe’s decision to have considered the captain for a Ryder only, has been the big reason that has pushed Montgomerie aside. However, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, world number one, had also spoken in favor of his ‘countryman’.
The captain of the U.S. team will be the veteran Tom Watson, winner of eight majors and elected last December. The veteran Watson will have a complicated challenge, to return a rather elusive glory lately for his country, defeated in seven of the last nine matches and who have not won on European soil since 1993, precisely the year in which the winner of five ‘British’ was also the captain.
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