Gallacher continues to star on the greens to move up the rankings

Feb 10 2011 by Eric MacKinnon, West Lothian Courier

STEPHEN GALLACHER took another step closer to participating in the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona next month with a creditable performance in the Commercialbank Qatar Masters last weekend.

The Linlithgow-based pro is eyeing a place in the top 64 in the world to make it into the elite knock-out event and followed up his impressive performance in the Volvo Golf Championship in Bahrain with a steady showing in Qatar.

The opening day started well for Stephen, who was up among the leaders on blustery first round which ended with a highly creditable par 72.

The second day, in much better weather, saw the West Lothian golfer drop back with a one-over-the card 73 but still qualify comfortably.

His 69 and 70 at the weekend for a 284 total was good for a share of 12th position and a cheque for more than 25,000 Euros, although a top-10 finished was tantalisingly close.

He said: “It would have been nice to birdie the last as a top-10 finish would have been a great result.”

Stephen now lies 72nd in the world rankings having commenced the 2011 campaign three weeks ago in 89th spot.

His bid for the top 64 requires a good week starting on Thursday in the lucrative Dubai Desert Classic event, which has the world’s top three players in the field – Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods.

A very good finish is not outwith Gallacher’s reach despite the opposition. He is in good form and coach David Burns has jetted out this week for some fine tuning of the Gallacher swing.

Meanwhile, there was no play for the West Lothian winter league side against Fife in Sunday’s scheduled match at Silverknowes.

While things overhead were pretty good, the heavy rainfall of the previous two or three days was just too much for the course.

It looks like the earliest the match will now be played will be March 6 and, despite West’s poor showing this winter, the remaining two matches are vital for the eventual whereabouts of the title.

East Lothian now lead on seven points after Sunday’s hammering of Mid at Whitekirk — the East men lost the opening two games but won the remaining eight.

So East have West Lothian to deal with in the next match and Longniddry is the venue for that on the 20th of this month.

Fife will be entertaining Mid at Charleston on the same day and hoping that a result there will leave them in with a shout when they take on West Lothian in the rescheduled encounter.