For a first-time Masters competitor Stephen Gallacher has to be one of the least nervous of the two dozen maiden invitees to teeing up later today at Augusta National.
Not since the second Masters in 1935 had there been as many first-timers and with Gallacher, at 38 years of age, the second oldest behind the 51-year Iowa insurance executive Micheal McCoy who captured last year’s Mid-Amateur Championship.
Gallacher will step onto Augusta’s first tee with the official starter with the very Georgian accent announcing: “Fore, please. Stephen Gallacher now driving!”
The Scot is sure to have butterflies, his knees will be knocking and his heart pumping but he intends to treat it like any other tournament.
“My coach, Dave Stockton said to just treat it like it was the Georgia Open,” he said smiling.
“I said, yeah, right Dave but I can see where he’s coming from and that’s why I haven’t over-prepared to try and stay fresh as you know it’s going to be a tough week mentally and physically.
“So it’s all a matter of executing it tomorrow.
“I know I am going to be nervous and also excited and if you lose that you’re in the wrong game, and I think that once I do tee off I can treat it like a normal tournament.”
Gallacher wound-up his preparations mid-morning yesterday (WED) playing Augusta’s front nine and just he and his now Livingston-based caddy, Damien Moore.
Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher trying to treat his 1st Masters like a Georgia Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
The serious work commences at 4.47pm (UK time) today when Gallacher will complete the goal of having contested all four Major Championships since making his Majors debut in the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews as the then Scottish Amateur Stroke-Play and Lytham Trophy champion.
“It was nice this morning to get out early and play nine holes and get around in two-and-three-quarter hours so that was great,” he said.
“I’ve now played four sets of nine and earlier in the week with past champions Jose Maria Olazabal and Ian Woosnam, so you can’t do much better preparations than that.
“Miguel (Angel Jimenez) was playing yesterday (TUES) with Olazabal and he’s been 14 times and we know what Ollie’s done here.
“Then I played on the weekend with Sandy and he also gave me great insight, and it was similar advice from all three and that is to play your own game.
“So my emotions are fine and I’m looking forward to starting tomorrow and also playing the Par 3 Contest this afternoon with Jack and Ellie pulling on the caddy overalls, so that should be good fun.”
Gallacher has not changed any of his clubs in the bag for his first Masters, and apart from fresh wedges, everything is much the same as when successfully defended his Dubai Desert Classic title.
What he says will assist him this week is the benefit of having travelled to Australia at the tail end of last year to represent Scotland in the World Cup of Golf at Melbourne.
The host Royal Melbourne course was designed by Dr. Alister MacKenzie who also designed Augusta National.
“MacKenzie is a brilliant designer and I saw that when I was down in Melbourne last year, and playing Royal Melbourne was a great bonus, as it seems all these trickier courses has his name on it,” he said.
“But coming out onto the course on the weekend I could not believe how steep it is and the 10th and 18th fairways could be immediate ski runs and that’s unbelievable
“Even the first, as looking at it on telly it looks flat but there’s a massive dip off the tip before you climb your way up the fairway.”
Gallacher took his first drove down Magnolia Lane last Saturday and while he’s now spent the past five days trying to familiarise himself with the golf course, he seems to have ignored much of the history of Augusta National.
Of course, he’s crossed the Hogan Bridge to the 12th green along with the Nelson Bridge at the 13th tee and the Sarazen Bridge at the 15th green but at a guess he’s not spotted the Palmer plaque attached to a drinking fountain at the back of the 16th tee or the Nicklaus plaque also on fountain between the 16th and 17th holes.
And when quizzed if he had wandered over to study the 18th hole fairway bunker from where Lyle hit a 7-iron to set up 1988 Masters glory, Gallacher commented: “No, I’ve just been trying to keep it on the fairway.”
But what has impressed him though has been the large number of spectators who have flocked to the course.
“It’s the amazing the transformation as there was not one person on the course Saturday and then Sunday they were holding the kids ‘Drive, chip and putt’ competition but from Monday the crowds have just been amazing,” he said.
“It’s just a great golf course, a great event and the history and all that is just what I expected, really.”
However while Gallacher has been low key in the eyes of the international media his young 12-year old son, Jack found himself being interviewed by CBS TV.
And his comments and revelation came as a real surprise to this female news reporter.
“I wasn’t there at the time when she interviewed Jack and she thought she was just getting a comment from a random kid,” said Gallacher.
“But Jack says his father was playing in the Masters and he’s also the nephew of a former Ryder Cup captain, so much so she nearly had a heart-attack.”
Gallacher will play the opening two rounds in the company of former Open champion, Darren Clarke and American Nick Watney.
While Gallacher has played often alongside Clarke he got to know Watney well in playing alongside him during the recent WGC- Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral.
“It’s a good three-ball and I’m really happy with that,” he said.
