'Old boy' Stephen Gallacher feels galvanised by young Scots

Stephen Gallacher may have taken over from Paul Lawrie as Scotland’s father figure on the European Tour and, as such, admits he is “enjoying” seeing his younger compatriots making their presence felt on a regular basis.
Stephen Gallacher gives the thumbs up after completing his round in the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.Stephen Gallacher gives the thumbs up after completing his round in the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.
Stephen Gallacher gives the thumbs up after completing his round in the Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images.

But the emergence of the likes of new world top 50 man Bob MacIntyre, David Law, Grant Forrest, Connor Syme and Calum Hill has also had a galvanising effect on the 46-year-old as a 600th appearance on the circuit looms on the horizon.

Gallacher, a four-time tour winner and still the current Hero Indian Open champion title defence was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic as last year’s scheduled event was cancelled, opened the Saudi International with an eight-under-par 62 at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

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It was his best opening effort on the circuit in 584 starts, leaving him in second place, one shot behind Englishman David Horsey, and, as he spoke afterwards, there was no disguising Gallacher’s desire to play his part in a recent upturn in Scottish fortunes on the main tour.

In the two events already this season, Marc Warren finished fifth in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship before MacIntyre claimed third spot in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday, with those two players having both landed title triumphs last year in the Austrian Open and Cyprus Showdown respectively.

“I think Scottish golf is in a really good place right now,” said Gallacher, a likeable Lothians man. “You don't want to put too much pressure on anyone, but it's nice to just sit back and watch them flourish.

“You have young Bob doing well. He looks like he's going to be a superstar. Marc was up there the first week, Scott Jamieson is chipping away. You have a lot of the young kids coming through.

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“It's good to keep the old boys on their toes and it's been great watching the young kids doing well. When you're in such a small country, it sort of rubs off on you, as well.”

Gallacher relates the current scenario to when he was inspired by the likes of his uncle Bernard, Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle and Colin Montgomerie, as well, of course, Lawrie when he won the 1999 Open at Carnoustie.

“We're such a small country, and most of us managed by the same people,” he said of Edinburgh-based Bounce Sport, which also has MacIntyre, Forrest and Hill on its books. “It's just nice to go out for dinner with the young guys and get a bit of craic with them and whatnot. It's good.”

Miguel Angel Jimenez holds the record for the most European Tour appearances, having surpassed Sam Torrance’s total last year and now standing on 711. With 10 years in hand, Gallacher has that record firmly in his sights.

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“You see Miguel, Ernie [Els], [Phil] Mickelson, all in their 50s and still striping it, still enjoying it, still got the will to travel,” said the Scot. “They also still give advice to the young guys. You can ask them anything and they are great ambassadors for golf.”

As is Gallacher, who is rightly “proud” of his junior foundation, and, having started the new campaign with a top-20 finish in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship a fortnight ago, it looks as though a spring is back in his step after a tough 2020.

The death of his dad and biggest fan, Jim, was a devastating blow, with Gallacher also being rocked by other bereavements in his circle of friends.

“2020 was just a write off,” he said. “When the bells came, it was a relief. I worked hard on my game and in the gym. Played pretty good in Abu Dhabi and it was good again today. I'm delighted with that.”

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His day’s work yielded 10 birdies, including five in a row on his back nine, which he covered in 29. “It's probably the closest proximity I've ever had to the flag,” he said of that haul. “When you get on a roll like that, you see the hole like a bucket.

“I think when you shoot 62 or eight under around your home track playing with your mates, you're happy with it. Still three rounds to go. But it's a good platform to build off.”

As a trend continued in this event of the morning starters faring best before the test was toughened up by an afternoon wind blowing off the Red Sea, Horsey stormed home in 28 to set the pace as he equalled Dustin Johnson’s course record.

“It’s a shock actually,” admitted the four-time tour winner after missing the cut in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. “I've been playing rubbish the last couple weeks. Didn't feel like I controlled my ball the first two events.

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“Yeah, sort of had a conversation with a pal back home last night, talking a few things through and he suggested something. I thought, ‘well, can't get any worse, so I may as well try it’ and here we are.”

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, the 2019 Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open champion, sits third on 64, with a group on 65 including US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Scot Calum Hill.

One of the last players to secure a spot in the star-studded field, Hill was delighted with his day’s work, which he produced with Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey as a stand-in caddie after his brother, Ian, returned to Scotland after the season-opener in Abu Dhabi.

“He is hugely experienced,” said Hill of Ian Woosnam’s long-time looper. “He is very interesting and very good. It is very easy to see the success he’s had. He’s very good at accommodating the player. He meshed in very quickly to my game.”

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World No 1 and 2019 winner Dustin Johnson opened with a 67, but MacIntyre had to settle for a 71 in the afternoon despite being two-under with eight holes to play.

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