Paul McGinley will make his third successive Royal Trophy appearance next month alongside rookie Graeme Storm of England, a player who has enjoyed the best year on the Tour in 2007.

While McGinley was achieving a place in golfing folklore by holing the winning putt on his Ryder Cup debut in 2002, Storm was considering if he had a real future in professional golf as he struggled in the highly competitive European Tour. But the gritty English golfer refused to give up, and he is now beginning to fulfill the enormous potential he showed during a glittering amateur career.

The 2007 season produced the best results of his career including winning one of Europe's richest tournaments - the French Open and shooting a sensational 65 to become the first round leader at the US PGA Championship, the final Major of the year.

McGinley will certainly appreciate the battling qualities his new European team-mate has shown in earning his position as one of the European Tour's top players. The Irish ace has also seen his share of highs and lows over the years - but the high points have made him one of the golfing world's most recognizable names.

He knew there were millions of people watching all over the world as he lined up the six feet putt that would win back the Ryder Cup for Europe in 2002 - the competition attracts the third largest television audience in all of sport, behind only the Olympic Games and the football World Cup.

But he conquered his nerves superbly to drill it into the centre of the cup, sparking jubilant celebrations that resulted in him being thrown into the lake in front of the green at The Belfry's famous 18th hole.

That was the first indication of what a magnificent team player McGinley was to become. He has also played in each of the last two Ryder Cup triumphs, making him the first European golfer to be a winner in every one of his first three appearances. And of course he has also finished on the winning team in the first two editions of the Royal Trophy. So it was no wonder European Team Captain Seve Ballesteros was decisive in welcoming him back.

Ballesteros commented: "Paul's record in team events speaks for itself. He has the golden touch, and any captain would be delighted to have him on their side.

"He is an experienced, battle-hardened campaigner, and one of the great things about him is that you can play him with anybody else in the team, knowing he will help to bring out the best in them. He did that in the Royal Trophy 2007 when I paired him with a rookie, Anthony Wall, and they both remained unbeaten over all three days of competition."

"That quality will be very important this time as we will have a few rookies like Graeme, who have bags of talent but are somewhat new to this level of team competition, and they will be looking to the more experienced players for a bit of guidance."

McGinley will be only too happy to oblige. He says his heart swells with pride whenever he represents Europe. He explained: "Ever since my unforgettable experience at my first Ryder Cup I have taken special satisfaction in being part of any European team.

"When you consider the amazing strength in depth there is on the European Tour these days, with so many world class players fighting for places, it is quite an achievement just to make a European team, never mind be a part of so many successes."

"Team golf requires a different mentality to the usual events we play in, and I suppose my record suggests I make that transition pretty well. I just hope it stays that way for years to come. "But I know there is no room for complacency. The Asian Team will be highly motivated and the players they have announced so far are certain to test us to the absolute limit. It should be a fantastic competition."

McGinley has also enjoyed plenty of successes outside the team environment, with his victory in Europe's showpiece event, the European Masters, representing the pick of his nine professional wins.

Storm must aspire to those sorts of heights, but his French Open win and his eye-catching performance in his first US PGA Championship showed just what he is capable of. He was identified as a potential superstar when he won the British Amateur Championship in 1999 and helped Great Britain and Ireland win the 'Ryder Cup for amateurs' - the Walker Cup - the same year.

So he is no stranger to team success, and he is eager to add to that when Europe take on Asia at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok from January 11-13.

"Being selected for Europe to play under such a legendary figure as Seve Ballesteros is a tremendous honor for me," concluded Storm.