Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher gallantly regrouped from taking what could have been a tournament-destroying quadruple bogey ‘8’ mid-round to end a five-year winless drought in sensationally capturing the Hero Indian Open in New Delhi.

Gallacher, with 18-year son Jack as caddy, put two balls off the seventh tee out-of-bounds to drop from then third and one off the lead before showing enormous Scottish pride to play his closing 10 holes in five-under, including birding his last two, for an eventual round of 71 to win by a shot with a nine-under par tally.

It is the 44-year old’s first success in 122 events since successfully defending his 2014 Omega Dubai Desert Classic title and the fourth European Tour of his career.

And Gallacher becomes the first Scot to win the event since the late five-time Open Champion, Peter Thomson of Australia won the inaugural tournament in 1965.

However, it was a day looked like ending in disappointment the Bathgate pro when arriving onto the par-4 seventh tee lying third at eight-under par ahead of making three trips down the fairway and walk off with an ‘8’.

“Seven was playing downwind and I knew it was a tough hole and I was trying to get my drive a long way down and I pulled it and it was up against the out-of-bounds fence so I had to go back to the tee,” he said.

“I decided to change clubs and hit a 3-wood and I hit that a bit left and lost that also out-of-bounds so I had to go back to the tee again and I hit 3-wood down the middle and found the green in two and two-putted for an ‘8’ basically”.

Gallacher regrouped with back-to-back birdies at nine, 10 and 12.  He dropped a shot at 14 but got that back with a birdie on 15 before the shot of his round at the uphill and blind par-4 17th rolling in a curling 10-footer.

He then ‘smoked’  screaming down the par-5 18th before drawing on a shot he recalled England’s Matt Wallace had played in his play-off victory of a year ago, and with Gallacher’s 4-iron clearing the water guarding the green and landing behind the flag leaving his two-putts for victory.

“After what happened on seven I stood on the eight tee and I thought I am only five behind here,” he said.

“I was quite calm to be honest and I didn’t … I just hit two poor shots.  I then hit my drive out of the middle and I thought ‘You know what on this golf course with the weather and the wind swirling I could stay in touch.

Stephen Gallacher on his way to victory in the 2019 Hero Indian Open (Photo – European Tour/Getty)

“I finished it off great.

“It was not till I saw the board on 16 that I was tied for the lead and then at 16 the wind comes off the right and you’re just trying to get it pin-high to the left, and then at 17 it is just one of those … my second shot in there was probably the best shot I’ve for years as I was right in between clubs and I just gripped down a little 7-iron and managed to put it to six feet.

“Then my two shots at the last, driver and 4-iron, I just thought to myself that I had played with Matt Wallace last year when he won I remember what he had done on the play-off and that was to do the same as him, and it worked.”

And Gallacher was full of praise for his 18-year old son, Jack and his now full-time caddy.

Steve Gallacher singles out his son and caddy, Jack for special praise after securing victory in the Hero India Open (Photo – European Tour/Getty)

“It was brilliant having Jack on the bag and he’s great, as well.  He’s a good caddy.  A top lad.  He’s quite chilled, so nothing really bothers him. It is Mother’s Day, as well so I hope my mum back home is enjoying herself,” he said.

“Jack just kept saying to me out there, just keep doing what you are doing and go for shot and that’s all you can do, and get the process right.  Just pick your shot and hit it, and make sure you have the right club but he was as cool as a cucumber.  No problem, at all.

“When you’re 44 you’re in the sort of twilight so it’s a big win for me. It was good to finish it out the way I did it, three under for the last four is a great way to finish.”

The win lifts Gallacher 21st on the Race to Dubai and also turns around a miserable start to his season having arrived in the India capital having missing the cut in five of his six events this new season.

And Gallacher will jump some 150 spots to become the new World No. 205.