Who's who: Paul McGinley

  • Padraig Harrington
  • Laura Davies
  • Annika Sörenstam
  • José María Olazábal
  • Michelle Wie
  • Edoardo Molinari
  • Lee Trevino
  • Natalie Gulbis

Who's who: Paul McGinley

  • Name:

    Paul McGinley
  • Country:

    Ireland
  • Born:

    Dec 16, 1966 in Dublin, Ireland.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Grange GC, Dublin.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer
  • Turned Pro:

    1991
  • Website:

    https://www.paulmcginley.com

Roll of Honour

Irish Amateur champion (1989). Walker Cup player (1991). Ryder Cup player (2002, '04, '06). Ryder Cup captain (2014). European Tour wins (4).

Did you know?

The son of Michael McGinley, an accomplished amateur golfer, the culmination of Paul's excellent amateur career came with his selection for the 1991 Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup team, after which he turned professional. In 1992 he joined the European Tour with a first win coming four years later in the 1996 Austrian Open (at the time called the Hohe Brücke Open).

If anything defines Paul McGinley's career, it is his involvement with the Ryder Cup. His first taste of this most famous of all team competitions in golf came in 2002. McGinley famously holed out from 10 feet to halve his match with Jim Furyk and ensure Europe won the Cup. In 2004 and again in 2006 he made telling contributions to spur the Europeans to victory. In 2014 as the non-playing captain of the winning European team McGinley was praised for his strategic planning, supportive management of his team and delivering another European win.

Top tournaments won by Paul McGinley

2005
Europe
274 (-10)
€666,660
Volvo

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

McGinley, Paul

Score

274 (-10)

Prize money

€666,660

Title sponsor

Volvo

Played as the Volvo Masters (Oct 27-30; Eurpn Tr season-ending event). Second-placed Sergio García (Esp) finished 2 shots behind McGinley (Ire). By finishing third Colin Montgomerie secured the 2005 European Tour Order of Merit, his eighth such title. [Valderrama GC, San Roque, Spain].

2001
Europe
138 (-6)
€201,685
Celtic Manor

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

McGinley, Paul

Score

138 (-6)

Prize money

€201,685

Title sponsor

Celtic Manor

Played as the Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open (Aug 9-12). Paul McGinley (Ire) beat Darren Lee (Eng) with a par at the fifth playoff hole. Paul Lawrie (Scot) was eliminated at the second playoff hole. Event reduced to 36 holes due to bad weather. [Wentwood Hills course, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales; now largely incorporated into the Twenty Ten course].

1997
Europe
266 (-22)
£75,000
Oki

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

McGinley, Paul

Score

266 (-22)

Prize money

£75,000

Title sponsor

Oki

Played as the Oki Pro-Am (Oct 23-26). Second-placed Iain Pyman (Eng) finished 4 shots behind McGinley (Ire), who recorded his second European Tour win. [No.1 & 2 courses, Golf La Moraleja, Alcobendas, nr Madrid].

1996
Europe
269 (-19)
£41,660
Hohe Brucke

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

McGinley, Paul

Score

269 (-19)

Prize money

£41,660

Title sponsor

Hohe Brucke

Played as the Hohe Brucke Open (Aug 8-11; Eurpn Tr event). Second-placed David Lynn (Eng) and Juan Carlos Pinero (Esp) finished 1 shot behind McGinley (Ire). [Waldviertel course, Golfresort Haugschlag, Lower Austria].

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.

Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.

Recently visited

Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.

The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.

The Dutch GC, The Netherlands

The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.

Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

Popular videos

You can subscribe to the Where2Golf channel on YT if you like to see more video content. You'll find a "Subscribe" button on any of our YouTube videos. Or if you want a quick and direct access subscribe here. Once done, any new published videos will show up in your Subscriptions feed.

Bethpage State Park (New York) host of the Ryder Cup 2025

Hamburger GC - Falkenstein

Golf de Chantilly (Picardie, France)