McGinley plays down Tiger absence (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

McGinley plays down Tiger absence

2:38pm Wednesday 3rd September 2008 in

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Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley believes the absence of Tiger Woods could actually make the American team a stronger unit when they face Europe this month.

The world's best player will miss the match at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky from September 19 to 21 after ruling himself out until the New Year as he recovers from knee surgery.

But McGinley, who failed to make Nick Faldo's European side, said: "I think it's going to pull them together and put everyone in their team on a level playing pitch. Not to have Tiger, it will be just the team and I don't think it's going to hurt them at all,"

America captain Paul Azinger's selection of Ryder Cup rookie JB Holmes as one of his four wild cards, along with two other first-timers - Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan, and the experienced Chad Campbell came as no surprise to Irishman McGinley.

"Holmes is a Kentucky boy and he and Kenny Perry will, I think, be paired together, at least in one of the matches.

"It's probably more interesting to see what he's done than what Faldo did because the picks were not quite as clear as the European picks,"