Stephen Gallacher has turned down contesting a near $6m PGA Tour event later next month to tee-up in the co-sanctioned Maybank Malaysian Open sporting less than half the prize-money.
Being top-50 in the world, Gallacher was considering competing in the $US 5.8m RBC Heritage Classic at Hilton Head in South Carolina, and being staged the week following his maiden Masters appearance.
However the Scot is turning down the likelihood of the $US 1.04M first prize cheque on the alligator infested Harbour Town course to sweat it out in the sauna-like conditions of the Kuala Lumpur Golf Club course located in the shadows of the twin Petronas Towers, and the former world’s highest structure.
Stephen Gallacher electing to cash-in on contesting the Maybank Malaysian Open instead of the RBC Heritage Classic. (Photo – Denise Cleary/www.golffile.ie)
The Maybank Malaysian Open is being staged the same week at the RBC Heritage and carries a prize purse of $US 2.75m with the winner set to bank $400,000 or some £260,000.
However after finishing runner-up in the Malaysian capital in 2012, Gallacher’s keen to go one better this year.
He said: “It would be nice to be playing in Hilton Head but it’s a horses for courses situation for me.
“I’ve been playing the Malaysian Open every year since 2010 when it moved to the ‘K L’ Country Club and it’s back there again this year, so I really like the golf course.
“Also I’m again playing the Volvo China Open the week after Malaysia, so that will give me two weeks out in that part of the world.”
In fact, Gallacher is staring at two round trips to Kuala Lumpur in the space of a month as he is a member of Miguel Angel Jimenez’s European Eurasia Cup side that will face an Asian Tour side starting the Malaysian capital on March 27th.
It will be Gallacher’s second taste of European Team competition in five months after being a part last October of the GB & I Seve Trophy side.
However Gallacher’s primary focus remains a strong finish in today’s (SUN) concluding $US 9m WGC – Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral in suburban Miami.
Some 113 balls were lost in Friday’s brutal windy conditions on Friday among all but one of the 68 competitors.
Sweden’s Jonas Blixt was the only player who managed not to lose a ball or drop a shot in conditions akin to the second round of the 2010 Open Championship.
After the delay to play on day one, Gallacher played 26 holes on Friday posting a pair of 75s but showing good signs when he commenced his second round with three straight birdies.
The winds abated overnight with day three back to the ideal conditions one expects in Miami in March.
Gallacher said: “It was no place for feint-hearted. It was probably one of the toughest days I’ve experienced on a golf course since the second round of the 2010 Open at St. Andrews.
“There was just no place to hide out there.”
Gallacher toughed out those Old Course conditions four years ago to finish a brilliant fourth behind South African Louis Oosthuizen.
The Scot got his third round off to a super start when he holed an eight-foot birdie putt from behind the flag at the first to get back to six over par.
Gallacher then played a brilliant bunker shot to save par at the second and after missing the fairway at the third, and also partially blocked out by a tree, he put his second in a greenside bunker and also managed to save par.
Both shots delighted good friend and St. Andrews resident, Gordon Murray who had shared dinner the night before with Gallacher.
A birdie at the fifth hole from near 10 feet got the Scot back to 5-over par and two better than playing partner, Sergio Garcia who was struggling with the putter.
Accompanying Garcia was his father, Victor and on this occasion walking the course, not with a wedge, but a putter.
