Paul McGinley has challenged Scotland’s top professionals to form a quarter of his European team that will defend the Ryder Cup on home soil at Gleneagles next year.
The Irishman arrived in Perthshire on Tuesday for the first of many visits to the site of the 2014 matches since his appointment as captain of Europe was confirmed at Abu Dhabi last month, and he admitted to being caught up in the excitement already.
He’s promised a strong Scottish element to his captaincy in both atmosphere and personnel but he had a challenge for the leading Scottish pros ahead of the qualifying process, which begins in Wales later this year.
“I would love nothing more than to have at least one Scot in the team but when we played in Ireland (at the K Club in 2006) a quarter of the team (McGinley himself, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke) were Irish.
“So that’s the challenge now for the Scottish lads, to get 25% of the team from the home country.”
Welcomed on arrival to Scotland by First Minister Alex Salmond at Bute House in Edinburgh, McGinley found entering the gates of Gleneagles to be a different experience to the many times he’s played there in the Johnnie Walker Championship.
“It’s the first time I’ve been to Gleneagles when it hasn’t had the stands up and the tournament fittings but I realised coming in here now is a huge moment in my career,” he said.
“Now, irrespective of what the result next year is, this will be a place that is synonymous with me for the rest of my life.
“Just as the Belfry has become in terms of me holing that winning putt (in 2002), I can feel that sense of connection between me and here.”