When it comes to TV, Paul’s really on the ball
WHEN it comes to Sky’s roster of talent, there is one Irish man who is flying higher than most. Paul McGinley has quickly established himself as one of the most insightful and knowledgeable analysts and presenters today.
One of his greatest gifts is his ability to deliver honest commentary on players like Rory McIlroy on a weekly basis, even though he is closely involved in their lives. As a successful Ryder Cup captain he is about to become one of the most valuable assets on TV as the contest kicks off in France this September.
I caught up with the man himself before the Open Championship begins in Carnoustie in Scotland next week to gauge what life is like now he has traded the clubs for the cameras.
And he explained how he manages to balance his personal relationships with the professional golfing world as well as delivering some honest and frank coverage.
‘It can be difficult to rein it in and you have to make sure that you are not missing anything,’ he says. ‘Because as the golf is unfolding you are looking at statistics and other feeds as well as commentating.
YOU need information and you need it instantaneously. You are trying to talk and watch and listen as well as analyse the play. It is ultimate multi-tasking and I am doing it five years now — it took a lot of learning. It took a long time to be able to do that and to get used to doing four or five things at the same time.’
McGinley says he’s still learning on camera because the sport moves so quickly.
‘You don’t want to be missing anything and you want to be able to throw in a little bit of extra information that explains who or how a guy is playing makes all the difference. I try to give a rounded analysis with more information rather than just a soft commentary. That’s what my brief is and hopefully we do that well.’
Paul is the first to commend McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry when they are playing well. But he is also quick to point out their bad days at the office. It is a tightrope he does not enjoy walking but honesty is something he believes he has to bring to the table.
‘It is a difficult line to walk and one that I am very aware of,’ he admits. ‘You have to be loyal to the players who I know and who trust me. But I also have to be loyal to the viewers at Sky.
‘One thing I will not do is say anything that I don’t believe or lie just for the sake of it. I always approach with the mantra that honesty is the best policy.
‘If I have a view there is a way of getting it across. If there is a point that you want to make that can be critical of a player in a certain situation there is a way of saying it.
‘They might not agree with you but they can see that it is a fair opinion. A difference of opinion is OK. If a player comes up to me and says they didn’t like what I said, well, I can just say it is my opinion and that is the way it is. It is about getting that balance but I have to be true to myself and Sky and the viewer sitting at home as well as the players. ‘
Paul is the first to accept that some players won’t like the tone of his commentary but he also says they are quick to take to social media to rebuke him if they don’t like what they hear — and that’s okay too.
‘A difference of opinion is fine,’ he insists. ‘The game is made up of different viewpoints and if they do differ with me I totally accept that, as long as it is based on facts and not based on emotion.
‘I have no problem with that and we all see the game differently and that is what makes the game so appealing and interesting.
‘It is a very complex game. You can have a view but it needs to be balanced and fair and based in truth and that is what I have tried to be over everything else — fair. But I understand that people mightn’t like what I say and that there will be criticism of me and differences of opinions. I guess that’s the world I now live in.
‘You don’t go into work as a pundit on TV and expect everyone to think that you are great. That’s a false world.’
And so what is his take on McIlroy’s erratic performances during this season?
‘I look back on my career and at the reasons why I never won a major and I think that helps me,’ McGinley says.
‘Then you go to the next level to win two three four majors like Rory and you see the difficulty that exists in winning a grand slam. There is a reason why only five players in the history of golf have done it.
‘We are talking about a game that is a few hundred years old. And we have an Irish guy who is on the verge of being one of the six best golfers of all time. With Rory we sometimes lose perspective of that and how much he has achieved already.
‘When I see him unravelling I am looking at it in a cold, analytical way. But also I have empathy for him because I know how difficult it can be out there in a major and it isn’t happening.
‘I know how difficult that is and I can appreciate the pressures he is under but if you want to be one of the stars of the game, it takes something special. I think it is going to keep him motivated.
‘With Rory I don’t think it is a question of heart. I see a lot of people calling into question his ability to handle pressure. I don’t think you can say that when you look at what he has achieved. It is a huge step to win the Grand Slam. I don’t think he is ready yet but I think he is getting close.’