Stephen Gallacher is sure to have one of the biggest followings when he makes his Ryder Cup debut this week.
The player who lives the closest to Gleneagles has taken to being a member of the European Team akin to a duck taking to water.
And this was the message from the proud Scot as he fronted the world’s media this morning.
“It’s great being a member of the team but then it’s been hard, you have a lot of sacrifices and a lot of hard work, and it’s paid off to be here in Scotland and as a proud Scot, a couple of days out before the tournament, I just can’t wait. Really excited,” he said.
“The hard thing I think is to conserve energy. You’re here quite a long time before the Friday start. My uncle sort of told me it’s been a long week, early mornings and late nights, and if you can conserve energy, and Poults touched on it, as well, get rest when you can and get your game plan and just be ready for the three days.
“It was my lifetime ambition. It was my goal to get here. I’m proud that I’m sitting here. I am very excited, and it is a bit surreal still, because I live so close. But it’s one I’m embracing and just trying to use the positive energy, and the crowd is going to be spectacular, as well, and it’s just going to be really entertaining.”
Hereunder is a selection of questions put to Gallacher.
Q. What’s the highlight of the week been for you so far?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: That’s been a lot. It was nice to hear Sir Alex Ferguson talk last night. We had a good laugh in the team room and had a couple videos that have been quite funny. We are not taking ourselves too — what we are doing is we are having fun. It’s been quite a good week. It’s been a quick week so far already even just since getting here Monday at lunchtime. But playing golf yesterday, getting off the 1st and playing a round, getting the full round underway was good, hitting the first tee shot and whatnot. It’s just hard to keep it in tow until
Friday.
Q. Can you tell us what the videos were?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: No. They were just funny videos. It was just to lighten the mood a bit. We’re not taking ourselves too seriously in these videos if you know what I mean. No, it was really good.
Q. I can’t imagine you’ve had that kind of crowd for a practise round before. What was that like,
first of all?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: It was good. It was good to get that one under the belt early on. I know it’s going to be three times as busy, four times as busy come Friday, but you get a sort of sense of what to expect with the big grandstands and the hospitality, the way the course is set up. It’s just the course is perfect and it’s going to be great for viewing. It’s going to be great for everything. There’s going to be lots of birdies, especially coming down the stretch with a couple par 5s at the end. You know, The Ryder Cup is all about the drama and the passion and I
think you’re going to get that this week.
Q. Also leaving aside whether you’re a better golfer now or not, are you better prepared for this than you would have been maybe ten years ago?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: I would say so, yeah. I think I am a better golfer, and I think I feel ready for playing now, yeah. You know, you try and get in The Ryder Cup, you know there’s going to be things attached to it, more media and more in the spotlight. If you don’t fancy that, well, there’s no point in trying to get in it. It’s just part and parcel. You’re going to get people on the tee and you’re going to get
expectations. The key is to just embrace that and just stick to what you’ve been doing that got you here.”
Gallacher played his first full Ryder Cup practice round in the company of Justin Rose and Ian Poulter but lost £150 to the PGA based duo and he was also asked if the pair sought to ‘pick his brains’ on the course given Gallacher is a former winner of the Johnnie Walker Championship on this week’s PGA Centenary Course.
STEPHEN GALLACHER: Well it cost me 150 quid, if that’s what you mean.
Q. Did you hole a bunker shot at the last?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: Rosie holed that. He had a $10 skin on one of the holes, which was a sore one. No, it was great. They are good mates of mine. It was good to play with them. I came up a couple of weeks ago and done the last couple of year’s pin positions. I had the books and done a few breaks and whatnot. I was just giving them a bit of info, because they don’t really know the course that well. Gave them info of where the pins are, important things, reads on the greens, where the wind normally comes from. If I can help in any way, I’m delighted with that.
“But they thought the course was great. It’s in brilliant condition. Greens are nice and firm. Weather was good yesterday, as well. People were
out. It was just a fun 18 holes to have yesterday with those two.”
Q. What’s been the best good luck message you’ve received and have you heard from anyone that you would never have expected to hear
from?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: I’ve had a lot of good luck messages pretty much just from all my friends and had one from Martin O’Neill (Former Celtic Team manager) which was nice. I spoke to him a couple of times, just because he’s Paul’s friend and he spoke to me at the Masters, and then he sent me a voicemail. Just lots of people, my friends, nothing —
Q. What did he say?
STEPHEN GALLACHER: He just says, “Well done for getting in. You’ll love the team environment. Probably one of the best weeks of your life,” and stuff like that. And he’s right, it will be (smiling).”
