Stevie-g is giving back, but he’s not giving up battle to keep his card
Stephen Gallacher is doing his utmost to deliver the best facilities for the next generations of Scottish golfers.
But don’t mistake that look into the future for thinking there is no life left in the old dog in the present.
Not a bit of it, and this week Gallacher will be in Spain to take part in the DP World Tour’s Q-school.
Back after a three-year absence because of Covid, Stevie-g will tee it up over a potential six rounds, alongside some golfers more than 20 years his junior who are trying to fight their way up the golfing ladder.
It was a disappointing year on the main Tour for the 2014 Ryder Cup player as he finished down in 173rd place on the Race to Dubai, well outside the top 117 needed to retain full playing privileges.
Having turned 48 last Tuesday, seniors golf is not too far in the distance. But the man who has recently moved back to Bathgate still wants to compete against Europe’s finest.
“It wasn’t a hard call to make about Q-school,” he told The Sunday Post.
“You have to be realistic about these things and I still want to be out on Tour. Plus my win in India in 2019 gives me a five-year exemption for Q-school, so there were no issues there.
“You realise very early that golf can give you the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
“I’ve played 620-odd events out on Tour, and I’ve won four. That’s an awful lot of losing. However, then think of someone like Jack Nicklaus and even he spent most of his career losing. That’s how you have to look at it.
“But going through the lows is what makes you strong. So, in this career, you have to stay centred.
“This season has not been as good as I wanted, but the last three events before I got injured ahead of Portugal showed enough to me that I was on the right track.
“I worked hard with my coach and it has freed my game up. Before that, I had a two-way miss and, if that’s the case, it’s difficult to know where to aim.
“Now we’ve worked on only missing on one side.
“Golf has always been about making your bad shots better, and it’s amazing how much confidence you can take from eliminating one side of the course.”
In the lead up to flying out to Spain last Thursday, Gallacher opened his foundation’s new Centre of Excellence at Kingsfield Golf Centre.
Filled with top-of-the-range golf technology, the centre will cater for everyone, from children trying out the game for the first time to elite youngsters and pros.
It will build on the work Gallacher’s foundation has been doing for many years, and says a lot about the man himself.
“You have to give back,” he said. “I’ve been out on the Tour for 26 years and I’ve had a great career. I’ve been fortunate to travel the world doing something I love, and it’s given me so much enjoyment.
“But chatting to the other pros who came along, every one of their parents played golf. We want to try to reach the children where mum and dad don’t play golf.
“This is a wonderful game that you can play from five to 85 years old. It’s not just about the playing side, either. You could have a career in media, greenkeeping, or course management.
“There are the health benefits of being outside, the etiquette, the competitive side – golf is just great for your general well-being.
“If we could get one or two coming through who go on to make it, that’s all good. But it’s about just getting more people playing.”
Fellow Scottish tour pros Bob Macintyre, Marc Warren, Richie Ramsay, Connor Syme, Grant Forrest, Calum Hill and aspiring
female pro, Louise Duncan, all took time out to make it to Kingsfield.
And it was a further sign of the camaraderie that exists between the finest players in the country.
“They’re a lovely bunch of guys,” adds Gallacher. “I was delighted they could come out and it says a lot for them.
“They understand that facilities like this can only help grow the game, and they realise the impact it could have made when they were younger.
“Everyone pushes each other on, and that’s why they have done so well this year.
“It all started with Ewen Ferguson winning in Qatar, and then it pushes on with Connor going close, Richie winning at Hillside, then Bob in Italy, and Euan Walker on the Challenge Tour. Golfers feed off each other.
“This year we’ve had some events where there have been 12 or 13 Scots in the field. That’s amazing.”