STEVIE GEE!
Gallacher makes a charge up the leaderboard on Masters debut
STEPHEN GALLACHER l ast night charged onto the Masters leaderboard with a superb one-under par 71 on his debut.
The 39-year- old Scot, who finished just three shots off the lead of American Bill Haas, had been tipped as one of the surprise packages at Augusta but could hardly have imagined announcing his arrival in such impressive style.
‘I only hit one poor drive, on 10, and I was happy to get under par and stay in the red,’ said Gallacher after finishing with the same score as Rory McIlroy and two behind defending champion Adam Scott.
‘I played with Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez in practice and their advice was great — you don’t go for flags, you go for positions. It’s a special course, it’s Augusta.’
The man from Bathgate got off to a
blistering start with birdies on the second and sixth. He then moved into outright second place after a birdie on the ninth took him out in 33. But three bogeys in a row from the 10th took the shine off his astonishing start before he managed to steady the ship. Gallacher then birdied the 15th before holding his nerve on the closing holes. After an intriguing opening day, Aussie Scott showed he won’t give up the green jacket lightly with an opening 69, while McIlroy is right there too despite a three-putt at the final hole. ‘I feel like I am better prepared for this Masters than I have ever been and that helped because this was as tough a first day as I have seen,’ said 24-year-old McIlroy. ‘It was a good day at the office, anything in red figures was a good effort out there. ‘When I saw the pin positions this morning, I thought they didn’t want people to get too many under par. ‘They’ve got the greens very fast already, by Sunday they are going to be pretty dicey. ‘Going out tomorrow afternoon, I wouldn’t mind if they were a little gentler.’ Scott shrugged off a double bogey at the 12th to stand three under at the close. ‘I am really happy because that is how you hope to play on the first day of a major,’ he said. ‘I was really solid. I hit the one poor shot on 12, which obviously cost me a couple of shots. ‘But I was very pleased to get off to a good start and there is no doubt winning last year had me a little more comfortable on the first tee than I’ve ever been in the past. ‘I didn’t have the legs shaking and nerves jangling for six or seven holes, like usual.’ Playing alongside Scott, 19-year-old Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick got off to a nightmare start with a double bogey six, the US Amateur champion driving into the trees and then pitching over the green with his third shot. However, the teenager from Sheffield hit back with a birdie on the second and remained one over par until bogeys on the 13th, 14th and 17th meant an opening 76. ‘I think he played really well,’ said Scott. ‘Obviously, it was a nervous start and I stood there and thought: “That’s what I looked like many times playing in the first hole at the Masters”. ‘But he did hit a great putt for double bogey and that’s exactly what I said to him. I just said: “Great putt, get going now”.’