Paul Noel McGinley (born 16 December 1966) is an Irish professional golfer who has won four events on the European Tour.

He credited his experience of Gaelic football for his passion for team sports and suggested it played a part in why he was appointed European captain for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

[6] He later attended the United States International University in San Diego on a golf scholarship, where he gained a master's degree in marketing.

In 1997 he won the World Cup of Golf for Ireland with Pádraig Harrington (who attended the same secondary school, Coláiste Éanna, as McGinley).

He made the cut in 21 out of 23 events that year and gained his fourth and, to date, last European Tour victory in the season-ending Volvo Masters at the Valderrama Golf Club in Spain.

He shot a final round of 67 for the biggest individual tournament win of his career, finishing two strokes ahead of Spain's Sergio García.

[14] At the 2008 KLM Open played in the Netherlands, McGinley shot a final round of 64 to finish runner-up in the tournament, behind Darren Clarke.

In the 2002 Ryder Cup, his ten-foot putt on the 18th hole in his match against Jim Furyk secured the ½ point Europe needed for victory; the team eventually won 15½ to 12½.

[21] McGinley met his wife, Allison Shapcott, who played golf for England and on the Ladies European Tour, when they were both at United States International University in San Diego.