Double Dubai winning Stephen Gallacher is looking to end an indifferent 12 months dry spell teeing up in this week’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Since finishing third a year ago in the second straight defence of his Dubai title the Scot has savoured just one top-10 finish in 22 European Tour events.
A year ago Gallacher was ranked the country’s Top-Scot and a career high of No. 31 in the world along with the assurance of contesting all four Majors.
Gallacher tees up on Thursday as the World No. 162nd and Scotland’s fourth highest ranked player.
However, there’s no denying nor questioning the 41-year’s old determination.
Scot Stephen Gallacher captures a first Omega Dubai Desert Classic title in 2013. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“Being here at the Emirates is like coming to your home club,” he said.
“I know everyone out here while I played the course a couple of times last month before Abu Dhabi and it’s great to be back here.
“First and foremost the weather has helped me do well here.
“It’s not humid and it is generally breezy, which suited my game when I first came here. Since then it’s always been a place that I feel I can play well on.
“You get some courses where you have to work harder to get round and change strategy but that’s certainly not the case with me here. This is a course where I know exactly what I am going to do.
“So I’d like to think that simply coming back here can give me a boost. I’m having an indifferent time, I know that. But it is one of those courses where I feel I Can get something going.”
Two years ago for the 25th anniversary of the event, organisers drew Gallacher with then World No. 1 Rory McIlroy for the opening two rounds and with similar 36-hole totals, Gallacher played the third round in McIlroy’s company.
Double Dubai winner Stephen Gallacher looking to finish in front of Rory McIlroy at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Invitational.(Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
Gallacher humbled McIlroy storming well clear of the field with a 63 and six shots fewer to McIlroy, and then retaining the gleaming ‘Coffee Pot’ trophy while McIlroy eventually shared ninth spot.
“Playing with Rory, who was world No 1 at the time, and playing with him three rounds out of four the first year I won in 2014 will always be a special memory,” said Gallacher.
“When you doing something like that, it gives you great confidence. You know your game is in a decent place.
“So I’m not panicking at all as I know what golf is like. You go through peaks and troughs and I’m in a tough at the moment. I’ve been here before. Everyone has been here before. Two years ago Rory wasn’t playing as well as he can. You just need a spark to boost the confidence then you are flying again.
“I’ve still got a niggling injury in my hand. I had a couple of injections in it then had two weeks off. But coming back and hitting balls for three weeks it has stiffened up a bit.
“I didn’t want to take any chances as far as competing here is concerned so I pulled out of the Yas Links Invitational on Sunday. It was unfortunate as I love playing there and I was a bit upset about missing that. But the main priority is this week and if I need to make a sacrifice like that, then so be it.
“I also played last week in Qatar and took a lot of positives over the two days. It was a tough test. The greens are tricky to read. I hit a lot of putts that hit the hole but didn’t go in. You can take a lot of comfort from that.”
Gallacher is the only player to win the event back-to-back and victory this week would see him join Ernie Els as the only three-time champion.
“I know how to win around here so it’s a case of trying to get off to a good start, get myself in a good position heading into the weekend the take things from there,” he said.
