McGinley overwhelmed by support

Last updated: 18th January 2013

Paul McGinley says he has been blown away by the reaction to his appointment as Europe's Ryder Cup captain for 2014.

While McGinley will almost certainly miss the halfway cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship this week, he took great comfort from the hordes of well-wishers congratulating him as he made his way to the clubhouse.

"It's been a whirlwind for the last 48 hours," the Dubliner told Reuters.

"It's all sunk in now. You can't help but think about the Ryder Cup because everyone's coming up to you wherever you turn - tour staff, fans, players, officials, caddies.

"It's all been completely overwhelming. I had no idea the reception would be so genuinely enthused for me and it's a really nice feeling to know your peers are so happy for you to have success."

McGinley also said he was struggling to keep up with the hundreds of congratulatory text messages he'd received since his appointment on Tuesday.

"I've had nearly 500 texts and I haven't yet managed to sift my way through them all," he added. "I've had so many things to do so I don't know who most of them are from."