Stephen Gallacher’s emotions remain on an even keel despite the overwhelming excitement among his family and friends in easily making the halfway cut in his maiden Masters appearance.
Gallacher continued to amaze in his ability to deal with everything Augusta National has served-up after two rounds of the year’s first Major in adding a rock-solid level par 72 to his opening 71.
It left the 40-year old Scot heading to the stately Georgian clubhouse at one under par and in a then share of 11th place but within 30 minutes of handing in his scorecard he had moved inside the top-10.
The second day dawned bright and sunny but by the time Gallacher ended his round at 1.10pm local time the wind had picked up appreciably while the greens, as described by his playing partner Darren Clarke, “I don’t know what Augusta has done but they are becoming a lot firmer.”
Gallacher’s second round was similar to day one with four birdies and two bogeys and the highlights being birding both the par three sixth hole, where on this occasion he holed a 40-footer, and par five 15th for a second day in succession.
If there was a standout hole it was the famed par three, 12th hole when Gallacher landed his 9-iron tee shot to just three feet for birdie.
“I’m just glad to be in the clubhouse and in red numbers,” he said.
“It was a bit tricky out there with the wind getting up and the greens are firming up, so I’m delighted with par.
“I managed to get away with a few things today and I got lucky on a couple of things. But that’s the course, if you get asleep or out of position, it’s a bogey.”
While his excited family and friends waited patiently to congratulate Gallacher, the quintessential laid back Scot did give himself the luxury of a ‘well done’ pat on the back.
“It’s been good for my confidence making the cut, and I know I can compete at the highest level on a demanding golf course, because the Majors demand it, everything involved with it,” he said.
“It’s the toughest test for the best players, so it’s good for confidence for that.
“There’s no point in getting upset as it doesn’t help me, so there’s no point in doing it. Courses like Augusta, Royal Melbourne and St. Andrews are courses where you have to accept your shots. If you hit a bad one, then it’s how you accept that and how you go on to the next one.”
While Gallacher had all afternoon to reflect on his achievement fellow Scot Sandy Lyle faced an anxious wait was right on the cut line at four-over par.
The Masters also is the only Major still adopting a 10-shot rule but with 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson shooting a 68 and end the day three clear of Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn (68) and Aussie John Senden (68) at three under par, it meant fellow Augusta champions Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal (74) will have to rely solely on being inside the top-55 player cut off mark.
And as it turned out four over par made the cut meaning Lyle will play all four rounds and tee off at 10.45am alongside Miguel Angel Jimenez.
By his own admission Lyle’s round of 72 was a ‘rollercoaster’ affair as evident with five birdies and just as many bogeys.
He birdied the second hole for a second day running but again came unstuck at 11 where he is three over while he ended, as he had done in winning the 1988 Masters, hitting a 7-iron into the green.
However it was not a mirror of the miraculous 7-iron shot from the left-side fairway bunker.
“I kind of skanked my 7-iron a little bit from the fairway so I didn’t get full whack on it but luckily it landed on the front of the green, which was the ideal spot to kill the pace,” he said.
“The putt then went past the hole but rolled back down to about three feet.
“It wasn’t one of my best 7-irons, and certainly not my best on that particular hole, but I’ll take a skanky shot like that as long as it’s straight.
“Overall, it was a real rollercoaster ride that we all tend to get when you make a birdie and think we are unbeatable, but then the next minute another bogey comes along and then another birdie.”
But while downhearted with his own efforts Lyle was full of praise for Gallacher.
“Stevie is playing great and I’m really pleased for him,” said Lyle.
“I said to him when we played on Saturday just make sure don’t blow yourself out of the tournament in the first five or six holes. That’s the most critical time because it sets the tone for the rest of the day.
“If you can get through the first five or six in about level or one-under you’re doing well. I was generally about two or three over after six holes and then you’re fighting a battle all the time.
“So to be one under is a terrific effort and I think he’ll be really pleased with that.”
