Ross Fisher and Stephen Gallacher share lead in Portugal

By MARK GARROD
Published on 12/10/2012 02:04

Former Ryder Cup star Ross Fisher and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher both matched their lowest rounds of the year to share the lead when the Portugal Masters began yesterday.

While Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal managed only a 75 on his return to action, the pair shot six-under-par 65s at Oceanico Victoria.

Fisher was part of Colin Montgomerie’s victorious side in Wales two years ago, but has managed only one top-five finish since that memorable week and finds himself down at 140th in the world.

“It’s been a tough season,” the 31-year-old Englishman said, “but it’s nice to see my hard work pay off, and if that Ryder Cup win doesn’t inspire you then nothing will. It was weird – I was more nervous watching on the sofa than I was playing at Celtic Manor.”

The closest Fisher came to winning this year was the Wales Open in June. He was one behind with four to play, but was then given a one-stroke penalty for slow play and dropped to sixth.

Gallacher, meanwhile, was still in contention for the Dunhill Links Championship at 
St Andrews last Sunday when he played the wrong ball on the 16th and ran up a quadruple-bogey eight. Keeping a bogey off his card next time out was a fine effort by the 37-year-old, nephew of ex-Ryder Cup captain 
Bernard Gallacher.

“There’s not much roughs and the greens are unbelievably good. I got off to a good start, which was nice, but when the wind got up it was pretty tough,” he said.

Olazabal hooked into the lake on the 18th – his ninth – for a triple-bogey seven and was out-scored by playing partners 
Martin Kaymer and Francesco Molinari, the two members of his team in the field. Kaymer scored 69, the same as defending champion Tom Lewis, and Molinari 71, the same as his brother Edoardo.

Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, the two front-runners for Olazabal’s job, had differing fortunes. Clarke finished with an eight-iron into the ninth hole for an eagle two and a 70, but McGinley withdrew before the start with a bad back.

Gallacher’s compatriot George Murray, who like Lewis has missed his last eight cuts and – at 163rd on the money list – desperately needs a big week to avoid a return to the qualifying school, is alone in third following a 66. The group one further back includes Welshman Jamie Donaldson and Ireland’s Shane Lowry.

Murray was leading the field earlier in the day. The Scot, sitting a lowly 410th in the world, reached four under par after 11 holes at Oceanico Victoria with birdies at the first, fifth, tenth and 11th.

At the time, he was a stroke ahead of a group which included Gallacher, Fisher and Henrik Stenson.