Former Ryder Cup player and captain Paul McGinley set a new world record for the most number of two-metre putts holed in 60 seconds while taking part in the Paddy Power Golf Shootout at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire on June 5.
The 53-year-old star of the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, where he holed the winning putt, showed that he has lost none of his touch with the flatstick, when he holed 19 putts in a minute during one of the challenges that formed part of a two-hour live Pro-Celebrity event, which was held under strict Covid-19 guidelines at Centurion Club.
McGinley’s world-beating effort eclipsed that of Tommy Fleetwood, who, just moments earlier, had set a target of 16 to become one of the briefest holders of a world record in sporting history.
Fellows professionals Thomas Bjorn, Andrew Johnston and Carly Booth all fell short in their efforts, as did the amateur celebrities, who included Piers Morgan, Harry Kane, Jamie Redknapp, Peter Crouch and Andrew Flintoff. Kane and Rednapp faired best, with seven putts a piece.
Morgan had the last laugh however, as he teamed up with Fleetwood to win the overall competition, which comprised seven different challenges, including speed golf, putting blindfold, and a chipping challenge.
“It was a team, me and Tommy Fleetwood, but as Tommy himself admitted, I carried him,” said Morgan. “I won most of the challenges for the team. Tommy did contribute, don’t get me wrong, he’s a good player, but in the end it came down to mental strength and resilience. I think overall, quality came to the fore, no pun intended. As Muhammad Ali said, ‘If you are going to talk the talk, then you’ve got walk the walk.”
To watch the full event, which was shown on Paddy Power’s YouTube channel, click here. For edited highlights, click here.
