McGinley to skip French

EUROPEAN TOUR/News round-up: If there is no rest for the wicked, how must a professional golfer feel? Paul McGinley was saved the bother of churning through a census form on Sunday night by getting home to Sunningdale, on the outskirts of London, within hours of claiming his third Smurfit Irish PGA Championship.

However, if there was a sense that his first week off in over a month would be spent recuperating, nothing could be further from the truth.

"I can see myself spending a lot of time on the practice ground this week," admitted McGinley. "I know I need quite a bit of practice, because I feel that my game is still not 100 per cent yet." All of which provides further evidence that the Dubliner - who has risen to 39th in the world rankings - is not completely happy with his place in the scheme of things.

McGinley has decided to miss out on one of his favourite tournaments - the French Open - on one of his favourite courses - The National in Paris - this week in order to refocus after a highly rewarding, but demanding, month that has seen him finish tied-18th in the US Masters, win four of five matches on the winning Britain and Ireland team in the Seve Trophy and win the Irish PGA title.

"I have to take a week off somewhere. I don't feel drained now, but I know from past experience how I am likely to feel in six or seven weeks time when I have kept playing for such a stretch. In the past, I have worn myself out and it is a matter of looking at the schedule and just deciding what week to take off.

"If you look at the schedule over the coming weeks, they are all big tournaments. It is like trying to catch fish all day and then all the good ones come in a row," he said.

Indeed, McGinley said that he may make some further changes to his original itinerary over the coming months.

So far this season, much of McGinley's time has been spent playing on the US Tour where he competed in six tournaments - Nissan Open (tied-74th), Accenture Match Play (tied-17th, second round loser), Honda Classic (MC), Bay Hill Invitational (tied-25th), The Players Championship (MC) and the US Masters (tied-18th) - but, now, the emphasis will swing towards the European circuit.

"I jumped in at the deep end by playing so much in the United States, but now I am going to tournaments and courses that I know.

"I have soaked up a lot of experience by playing in America and, while I don't feel 100 per cent confident with my game, there is an art in being able to chisel out scores," said McGinley.

"It is part of the challenge of the game, and the secret of being a good professional if you can hang in and chisel out a result. I'm learning how to do that, and all of the top guys will tell you that they can only peak for two or three weeks in a year," he added.

McGinley's next appearance on the circuit will be at next week's Benson and Hedges International at The Belfry where there will be a European Ryder Cup team meeting.

Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, who missed the Irish PGA because of injuries, also plan to reappear at that tournament. Harrington has been having daily visits to his physiotherapist and is happy that the treatment on his ankle ligament injury is proving beneficial and will allow him to play there.

The Irish contingent in the French Open, starting on Thursday, will be headed by Des Smyth, who is starting a six-week stint on the circuit, while Philip Walton - as a past winner - is also included in the field.

Walton has what he calls some "quiet invites" to play in a number of tournaments on the full circuit this season and, certainly, there is continued evidence that the former Ryder Cup player is returning to something like his old form. Ronan Rafferty is also playing in Paris while David Higgins is included in the entries but must wait to see if he has managed to get into the field.

If not, Higgins has the option of playing in the Credit Suisse Open on the Challenge Tour where Michael Hoey, who missed the cut in his first professional tournament in Italy last week, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy and Paddy Gribben are also entered.

Meanwhile, title sponsors Smurfit are committed to further enhancing the Irish PGA and have pledged their support to beyond 2006. It was more than a little unfortunate that the weather should prove such a spoilsport for last week's championship in Westport because, in terms of organisation, the event was more like a European Tour event rather than a domestic tournament and the bringing on board of ancillary sponsors added to that feel.

The vagaries of the Irish weather at this time of year which resulted in the championship being reduced to 54 holes highlighted one problem that faces the organisers. At least the weather is outside of everybody's hands, but a more serious problem - and one that is likely to persist - is finding a week that fits into the schedule of Ireland's leading tour professionals.

"It is becoming a bigger problem," conceded McGinley, "because we are playing on the world stage rather than the European." It is anticipated that McGinley, Harrington and Clarke will be consulted about the most favourable week for next year's championship - and that timing could determine whether the tournament will be played at the new second course at The K Club, or whether the policy of rotating the event around the country will continue.