One Of The Mates Backing Captain McGinley

Kevin Garside files one of those only-in-the-Ryder Cup features on Eddie Jordan, close friend of Paul McGinley who has been an influential behind-the-scenes character for the European Captain and will be a man wearing many hats at Gleneagles.

A former Formula One team owner and has homes in Monaco and Wentworth, Jordan's group will be the house band playing to Gleneagles guests Thursday and Friday, but some of his best work may already have been done for Captain McGinley when he arranged a get-to-know-you dinner with rookie Victor Dubuisson.

Garside writes:

Jordan claims to be the author of Dubuisson’s nickname, D’Artagnan. If that is a bit of a stretch, his talent as a host is beyond question. “Paul came down to Monaco. He asked me to set up a dinner. It was an opportunity to get to know Victor better. Victor came with a mate, Paul came with Ally, there was myself and Marie and a few others.

“I had not met Victor before but there wasn’t anything he could not tell me about Jordan. He is a motor racing fanatic. He has real style. He brought with him one of the most expensive Bordeaux wines money can buy, that will tell you it was a Rothschild. Let me tell you he will be a big thing in this Ryder Cup, maybe a surprise for a lot of people. He is very much his own man, a fantastic character, and he won’t be overawed.”