Stephen Gallacher steps up bid to claim Legends Tour Order of Merit title
Bathgate man ‘disappointed’ to miss out on maiden win on over-50s’ circuit in Kent event
Stephen Gallacher has teed up a chance to be crowned as the Legends Tour No 1 at the end of the year after coming close for a second time to landing a breakthrough win on the over-50s’ circuit.
The Bathgate man carded rounds of 65-70-71 for a ten-under-par total in the Staysure English Legends at Chart Hills in Kent and, in most weeks, it would have been job done.
Not this one, though, due to Swede Mikael Lundberg posting scores of 67-65-72 to finish two shots ahead of Gallacher, who also finished second to Jamie Donaldson in the Staysure Marbella Legends at the start of the season.
“On the whole, I’ll take second, but I’m a bit disappointed,” admitted the four-time DP World Tour winner and current European Junior Ryder Cup captain.
Gallacher started the final day trailing Lundberg by three shots and set out to try and reel the leader in. He birdied the fifth only to suffer a setback at the next hole as his tee shot hit a sprinkler head in the middle of the fairway and bounced into the hazard, resulting in a bogey.
“Maybe that’s when you know it’s not your day,” he said later with a smile. “I had a couple of chances coming back in, just a couple of poor shots,” he said. “When you’re chasing someone, you’ve got to be perfect.”
Scot is up to second on points list
Picking up €49,500 for his effort, Gallacher jumped up one spot to second in the Order of Merit behind Donaldson, who didn’t play in the Chart Hills event.
The next tournament - the NI Legends - takes place this week at Galgorm Castle, with a minimum of six more events to come before the No 1 is crowned.
Colin Montgomerie was the Scot to claim the crown as he won it back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, with Sam Torrance being a three-time No 1 prior to that between 2005 and 2009.