Ireland’s Paul McGinley will make a scheduled appearance on the air for Golf Channel on Thursday morning before the start of the 84th KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, which is nothing new for him. At 1:57 p.m., he will be on the 10th tee to play the first round – now, that will be different for him.
“It’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure,” said McGinley, who spends far more time doing television these days than he does playing. “I’ve played one tournament in 12 months ... so it’s a big step up for me.”
McGinley, a winner on the DP World Tour and a European stalwart as a player and captain, says there are pros and cons to commentating when it comes to how it helps his game.
Are there times it can help? “In terms of the positivity, because you are seeing so many brilliant golf shots, absolutely,” he said. “And you’re also seeing the mistakes – they become clear because the standard is so good.”
McGinley played Valhalla Golf Club on Monday before getting on his way from Louisville to Benton Harbor on Monday, and could not believe how difficult the golf course was. He realizes most of the people who watched him and others describe the action on television probably see it differently, as Xander Schauffele won with a record score (21 under par), and Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau both reached 20 under at a major.
“It’s an unrelatable game to what we play, even out here on the Champions Tour,” he said. “I played Valhalla Monday ... it’s an absolute monster. The guys hit it so far now, they just wrestle the golf course to its knees, no matter how long it is or tough it is set up.”
McGinley is here in Michigan for one reason: He got into golf for the first place to play it, and playing remains his first love.
“These are all my friends I played with on the main tour, both European and American,” he said. “When I see them all, it’s like going back to a school reunion. ... Anyway, it’s nice to be a golfer again. It’s what I still love to do more than anything.”
