Gallacher Returns To Abu Dhabi Swapping A Microphone For His Golf Clubs

1 year ago by Comments Off on Gallacher Returns To Abu Dhabi Swapping A Microphone For His Golf Clubs

A little over three months after walking the course with a microphone in his hand, and Stevie Gallacher has returned to Abu Dhabi for this week’s impressive line-up in the inaugural Challenge Tour’s Abu Dhabi Challenge.

It is the first of two weeks in the UAE capital with the Saadiyat Beach course hosting next week’s UAE Challenge.

Gallacher is among 19 former DP World Tour winners boasting a total of 46 victories, including the Tour’s ‘Mr. 59’, Ollie Fisher and seven-time winning Spaniard Alvaro Quiros, teeing-up this week.

This week’s inaugural event is being held on the same National Club course that played host to DP World Tour’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from 2006 to 2021, before moving to Yas Links.

Dave Cannon pic of Stevie Gallacher working for SKY at January’s inugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi

Though in contrast to the $US 9m prize purse on offer in January for the DP World Tour event at Yas Links, this week’s purse is only $US 300,000.

Gallacher in the UAE capital in January for the inaugural Hero Cup, and got his first taste behind a SKY Sports Golf microphone for the team’s event.

The Bathgate pro has returned with his golf clubs for back-to-back Challenge Tour events in Abu Dhabi, looking also to win back his main Tour card after losing full membership at the end of last year.

He said: “It’s very different being back here as I was here at the course in January getting my first taste of some TV work.

“The course was very different in terms of set-up and to the eye, given I had been coming so long here and seeing all the grandstands and everything.

“A big difference is that the heat is more intense out here at this time of year compared to January.

“It’s a fantastic golf course and I’ve really enjoyed playing it for some many years, and nice to be back here with the clubs.

“The field they’ve assembled this week is fantastic though it does make it tough who’ve for the Tour School guys but with the co-sanctioned events taking place out in Japan and South Korea, it’s hard for a lot guys here this week to get into those co-sanctioned events, and they want to keep playing.


“So, I can understand that and it is getting tougher while we’re all getting a little older, and with the young guys coming though.

“I was looking at the entry list the other day and I was surprised how strong the standard of the field”.

And while Gallacher looks to win back his main card, he revealed he’ll be again working for SKY Sports at The Open and also the Ryder Cup, and a day after captaining the European Junior Ryder Cup side on the host Marco Simone course in Rome.

Joining Gallacher this week is fellow former DP World Tour Scot David Drysdale and really in-form after back-to-back top-20s on the Asian Tour.



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