Paul Noel McGinley was born on 16 December 1966 in Dublin, Ireland, the son of Michael McGinley, an accomplished amateur golfer. Raised in Rathfarnham, he originally played Gaelic football until a broken kneecap at 18 ended that pursuit, turning his focus to golf.

He studied at the Dublin Institute of Technology before earning a golf scholarship to United States International University in San Diego. After a strong amateur career — including the 1989 Irish Amateur Championship and the 1991 Walker Cup — he turned professional in 1991, joining the European Tour in 1992.

McGinley won four European Tour titles and the 1997 World Cup of Golf (with Padraig Harrington), but is best remembered for his Ryder Cup career: he holed the winning putt for Europe in 2002, played on three winning teams (2002, 2004, 2006), and captained Europe to victory at Gleneagles in 2014 — the first Irishman to do so, earning him BBC Coach of the Year.

Since June 2013, he has worked with Sky Sports Golf as an ambassador and analyst, alongside golf course design work and other business interests. He lives in Sunningdale, Berkshire, with his wife, Alison, and their three children.