Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher will have a second caddy and coach along with a Ryder Cup motivator over the next five weeks in 12-year old son, Jack.
Jack was again in his element during the opening round of the French Open with his World No. 37 ranked father posting a five under par 66 in superb conditions on the National course and host venue for the 2018 Ryder Cup.
It left Gallacher well placed in third place and just two shots behind visiting American Kevin Stadler who posted a seven under par 64 and just two strokes off the National course record.
Germany’s Marcel Siem on six under par and with Scot’s Marc Warren and Scott Jamieson inside the top-10 with rounds of 69.
Great photo in the Khaleej Times of Gallacher’s tearful daughter Ellie and son Jack high-fiving his father after a second straight Dubai Desert Classic success.
Gallacher’s son is currently on a summer school break and while his younger sister Ellie is happy being at home riding her pony Jack Gallacher didn’t have to be asked twice if he wanted to travel to Versailles.
In fact, he’s a mini version of a pro with the TaylorMade cap, wraparound sun-glasses, golf shoes and socks, and if you looker closer in his back pockets there’s a yardage book and Tour statistic card that is normally the task of Gallacher’s caddy Damien Moore to complete but then Jack’s taken over that role.
Gallacher said: “Jack just loves it and he’s out here for the next five events so he’ll be coaching and caddying, and Damien’s right on his toes as well, so Jack will keep us happy.
“Jack just loves the golf and I’ve also got my nephew, Chris out here this week so the pair of them have been having a great time.
“But Jack is very serious and he will even stop people talking when I’m playing a shot.
“He’s got a stats card in his pocket and he’ll carry also carry a yardage book and when we sit down later in the hotel room he’ll read out all my stats for the round.
“So he’s really keeping Damien on his toes and it’s just great to see him so enthusiastic.”
And there was scenario during this year’s 25th anniversary Dubai Desert Classic when Gallacher was competing alongside Tiger Woods for the first two days and when Jack found one of his father’s golf balls that found bushes after an errant drive at the second during round three.
Gallacher managed to hack the ball out on route to saving par and then go on and win the event for a second year in succession.
Jack was back ‘on duty’ after Gallacher’s French Open round again standing close beside his father on the practice range and then relieving Moore of his duties as Gallacher worked on his putting.
Gallacher kick-started his round to be seven under par after 14 holes before missing a putt to go eight-under at his 15th.
However Gallacher then bogeyed his 16th and final holes.
He said: “I’ve struggled a bit the last couple of weeks so to shoot five under is pleasing but then this is a golf course where you can never feel comfortable.
“Every shot has got risk and reward to it, and you have to concentrate hard all the time as we saw at my 16th and 18th holes where I dropped shots after missing a birdie putt at 15 to go eight under.
“But it was a beautiful day for golf and the best I’ve seen the National course in all the year’s I’ve been coming here.”
Marc Warren was delighted with his effort of a two under par 69 but unlike Gallacher was heading straight back to his hotel room after his fourth round of golf in four days.
Warren played a practice round at Glasgow Gailes on Monday ahead of finishing first in Tuesday’s 36-hole Open Championship qualifier.
He said: “I am very pleased as it was really solid all day except for a silly double bogey on 11 when I wasn’t quite comfortable over the ball, but then I came home birding three in succession from the 15th.
“So to bounce back after the double and play the last four in three under was also pleasing.
“But then I’ve had a lot of golf this week, so I’m just looking forward to going back to my bed.
“As well, having played on Tuesday meant I didn’t get in here to lunch on Wednesday so I had to be excused from the Pro-Am, so all I did was walk the course.
“But having played here so many times I am pretty familiar with the layout here at the National, so on top of qualifying for The Open my confidence is high at the moment.”
Jamieson was on the same Wednesday fight to Paris as Warren but missing out on qualifying for The Open at Glasgow Gailes but then he gets another bit of the Royal Liverpool cherry this week.
The Glaswegian was one over playing his 17th but then holed a long putt from off the green for birdie and also birdied his last.
He said: “I played really solid with the exception of one hole and that was a bogey on my 16th but to miss the green at the next I thought to myself ‘Here we go again’ but I managed to hole the putt from off the green.
“So that was a bonus and then to hole a 12-footer at the last was also pleasing.”
