Gallacher makes cut and is hoping to add to his ‘brilliant Belfry memories’
Compared to being recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list with an MBE for his services to golf and then being reappointed as Europe’s Junior Ryder Cup captain, making a cut might not seem too significant – but that’s not how Stephen Gallacher will be looking at it.
Not when he’d failed to make it to the weekend on the DP World Tour in five successive starts and just once in eight outings, and not when clearing that hurdle in the Bet fred British Masters means he’ll be teeing up in the closing two rounds at one of his favourite venues in the game. “It’s magic,” said Gallacher of The Belfry, where his uncle, Bernard, was Tony Jacklin’s vice captain then captain himself in the Ryder Cup.
Referring to the man who has iconic images plastered all over the Sutton Coldfield venue and rightly so for his heroics there in the Ryder Cup, both as a player and captain, he added: “I remember watching Sam [Torrance] holing the winning putt in 1985 and downing the pint of Guinness on the balcony, just brilliant memories.”
Gallacher has some fond memories of his own here, having finished joint-second, one shot behind Swede Johan Edfors, in the 2006 Quinn Direct British Masters on the Brabazon Course. “I love this place,” he continued after finishing yesterday’s round. “It’s a brilliant course and an iconic venue.”
Earlier in the week, the 49-year-old had talked about how he’d been “playing well enough” but, due to putts not dropping, he’d suffered those early exits. Changing both his putter and putting grip has been the catalyst for a welcome boost in the opening event of the circuit’s ‘Back 9’ swing. “I am looking forward to the weekend,” he said after following up an opening 69 with a battling 73 to sit on two under par at the halfway stage.
Whether or not he can get close to Tyrrell Hatton – who sits on ten under after a second-round 65 – remains to be seen,but,withoneeyeonafirst crack at the Champions Tour Qualifying School later in the year, there’s certainly bounce back in Gallacher’s step.