Gallacher Now Needing ‘Wildcard’ Pick After Falling A Shot Shy In Italian Open.

Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher will now need to rely on a Gleneagles ‘wildcard’ pick after gallantly falling one shot shy of qualifying automatically for the European Ryder Cup team.

Needing to finish first or second in the Italian Open, Gallacher could still feel very proud in posting a final round 65 for a 17 under par tally.

It left the Scot, who lives just 30 miles from Gleneagles, in third place with England’s David Howell denying the flame-haired golfer after a blistering final day of 63 to grab second place on 18-under par.

European Team captain Paul McGinley will sit down tomorrow (Monday) with vice captains Sam Torrance and Des Smyth to thrash out the three Gleneagles picks.

An emotional Hennie Otto puts his hand on his heart after capturing a second Italian Open.  (Photo - www.golffile.ie)

An emotional Hennie Otto puts his hand on his heart after capturing a second Italian Open. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

And if Gallacher ever needed a Scottish voice on his side then he needs Torrance’s help in getting one of the three picks that would see Gallacher, who lives just 30 miles from Gleneagles, contest a first Ryder Cup cap.

“It was a terrific performance by Stevie today as the gun was really against his head as he performed very strongly, so all credit to him,” said McGinley was stayed on in Turin despite missing the halfway cut.

“Unfortunately, he’s come up one shot short of being an automatic on the team.

“However his performance this week will be very strongly in his favour when it comes to making the picks.

“But there’s also a lot of emotion around here at the moment, so let’s just put a little bit of cold water on things as there is a lot of stats to be looked at, and there is a lot of players to be looked at, and there is still going on in America that will be influential in terms of the picks.

“So in the cold light of day I will sit down tomorrow with my two vice-captains, Des and Sam and we’ll assess everything and hopefully come up with three picks that are going to add to an incredibly strong nine players.

“So the race is not over as we still have two rounds to go in America and that is still very much a part of the race even though it doesn’t count for points, but it could have an influence on the picks.

“However all credit to Stevie as he knew he had to go very low today and he certainly was in the zone over the front nine.”

And McGinley could well and truly sympathise with Gallacher having been in a similar scenario in 2004 at the BMW International Open in Munich and needing to finish top-six, as he did to secure the second of his three European Team caps.

“I know what it’s like as was in the same position in 20104 I went head-to-head with Freddie Jacobsson, so we all have to deal with pressure,” said the Irishman.

“But I tell you right now the adrenalin would now have drained from Stevie’s body but he will look back in this day even though his stomach would have been turning upside down.

“So he will look back on those four hours he was out there as being an incredible and exciting time in his career.”

Stephen Gallacher must now rely on a wildcard pick after falling one shot shy of second place in the Italian Open,

Stephen Gallacher must now rely on a wildcard pick after falling one shot shy of second place in the Italian Open,

After starting with an opening round of 72 Gallacher looked close to missing the cut early on day two before eventually completing the last three rounds in 17-under par.

But after being six under par through eight holes on day four and into second place that he so desperately sought, Gallacher could only manage to be one under for his closing 10 holes.

Gallacher bravely never gave up playing a number of gallant greenside bunker shots including one at the 14th to just 18 inches for par and also at the 16th to 10 feet and also saving par.

However the writing was on the wall when he ‘blocked’ his tee shot right at the last and then after finding another greenside trap he again drained yet another a pressure-cooker 10-footer for par but only to fall a shot shy of his Gleneagles dream.

Gallacher returned home late last night (SUN) and now has to wait to 12.30pm tomorrow (TUES) when European Captain Paul McGinley will be at Tour HQ at Wentworth to announce his three ‘wildcard’ picks as well as two further vice-captains.

“It was a good round of golf and I enjoyed it,” he said.

“I got off to a great start and it’s just a shame I didn’t too well coming in but then a 65 is pretty good.

“The last two weeks have been pressure situations and all I could do last week in Prague was to give myself to still have a chance this week.

“It was a tall order but I tell you what, I am proud of myself with the way I played.

“I said to Damien (Moore – caddy) coming down the last that this is the last shot of the last qualifying event, so you can’t get any closer than that.”

Breathing a huge sigh of relief was Northern Ireland’s Grame McDowell who secured a fourth Ryder Cup cap in remaining ninth overall on the points table.

Gallacher’s name now goes in a mix of some six players including Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Francecso Molinari and Lee Westwood and with McGinley to pick three.

“I wanted to qualify automatically myself to take away someone else’s opinion,” said Gallacher.

“There are four or five guys worthy of picks and it will depend on what Paul sees.”

Among those to reassure Gallacher was Howell who recorded his highest finish since winning some 11 months ago at the Home of Golf.

“I really hope Stephen gets a pick as he would make a fantastic Ryder Cup player,” said the reigning Alfred Dunhill Links champion.

“It’s been a supreme effort and if a captain needs any nudge to realise someone is in form and can play under pressure then Stephen’s done that over this weekend.

“So I really hope he makes the team”.

As well, an emotional Otto was just as supportive for Gallacher knowing that he also would be denying the Scot.

“I spoke to Stevie over the last couple of days and I really hope he makes the team now,” said the South African.

“I didn’t want to break someone’s heart in him not winning, and I said to him this morning to go out there and try your hardest as I really wanted him to be in the team.”



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