Paddy Power Golf Shootout: Ireland’s Paul McGinley sets new Guinness World Record with putting masterclass

Doing Ireland proud again.

We’re halfway through the inaugural Paddy Power Golf Shootout at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire – and a new Guinness World Record is already in the bag!

Paddy’s decided to revolutionise the grand old game of golf and kick off the summer of sport with a pro-am like never seen before.

UPDATE: It’s now done and dusted – here’s the best bits from Paddy Power’s Golf Shootout

Piers Morgan, Tommy Fleetwood, Harry Kane, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Jamie Redknapp, Carly Booth, Peter Crouch, Thomas Bjorn, Andrew Flintoff and Paul McGinley are all competing against each other in a number of challenges throughout the day with the competition culminating with the testing Shootout round.

WATCH: Check out all of the action from Friday’s big event

BLOG: Paddy’s shot-by-shot coverage from the course

One of the challenges was to set a new Guinness World Records title by racking up the most putts from a socially-distant two metres in just 60 seconds.

Our pros Fleetwood, Booth, Beef, Bjorn and McGinley all fancied their chances and had to clock up a minimum of 15 to get their name written into history.

After our celebs failed to get anywhere near, it was the turn of the pros.

England and Tottenham star Harry Kane and Jamie Redknapp were both tied on seven putts in a minute, but they were quickly blown out of the water when Tommy Fleetwood stepped up to the mark.

The World.10 knocked in 16 putts from the socially-distant two-metre range, but that wasn’t enough to end the day with a Guinness World Record to his name.

Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley did it for Ireland by putting a mega 19 balls in just 60 seconds to earn himself a place in history – with a twentieth only denied by the adjudicator ruling on a double hit.

Fair play Gins – we never doubted you!

Read more:

Don’t know what we’re going on about?… Here’s what we’ve got planned
Star-studded? I thought Piers Morgan was playing? Well, yes, he is… but he’s not alone
It’s golf, but not as we know it: Check out the rules for the Paddy Power Golf Shootout.

The event is subject to a rigorous, government-approved Covid-19 testing process, with all participants – and skeleton production crew – tested before being permitted to attend.

Despite McGinley’s magical putting – and some impressive athleticism shown legging it down the fairway – he and partner Peter Crouch came up short (unusually for him) in the skills part of today’s tournament.

Piers Morgan and Tommy Fleetwood shocked the golfing world by winning the pairs challenge.

There’s been some top-class golf on display and plenty of hilarious moments with our celebs embarrassing themselves at pretty much every opportunity.

Here’s to plenty more this afternoon for the Shootout itself!

READ MORE: