Paul McGinley

Paul Noel McGinley (born 16 December 1966) is an Irish professional golfer who has won four events on the European Tour. At the 2002 Ryder Cup, he famously holed a ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk at The Belfry which won the Ryder Cup for Europe. He was the winning captain of Europe in the 2014 Ryder Cup (and the first Irishman to captain Europe's Ryder Cup side).

Early years

McGinley was raised in Rathfarnham and was educated at St Mary's BNS and Coláiste Éanna. His father Mick, who is from Dunfanaghy, played Gaelic football for Donegal, while his mother Julia comes from Rathmullan. McGinley himself was born in Dublin and studied at Dublin Institute of Technology. He played Gaelic football for Naomh Mícheál, until he broke his kneecap at the age of 18. After his knee injury McGinley turned his full attention to golf. McGinley later said that when he played golf as part of a team it helped to raise his game to another level. He credited his experience of Gaelic football for his passion for team sports and suggested it played a part in why he was appointed European captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup.