Bob Torrance backs Gallacher to win Tour title

The Largs guru has also told former World Cup winner Marc Warren that all he needs to do is pick up the phone if he wants to start working with him again as he struggles to recapture his best form.

Gallacher, who started his season lying 94th in the rankings, is now just ten spots below the position he needs to be in after next week's Dubai Desert Classic to get into the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship in Arizona. The 36-year-old has recorded three top-four finishes on the European circuit in the last nine months and Torrance, his long-game coach, believes it is only a matter of time until he adds to a 2004 Dunhill Links Championship win.

"He's on his way and I think he'll win before the year is out. He's got the mental strength. He's also got a good work ethic. He's a nice boy," said the respected coach. "He's an excellent ball-striker, the best on the Tour, I think. Nobody strikes it better. He's not frightened of anybody or anything. He was very close in Bahrain. He missed picking up shots on the two par-5s on the back nine."

While Gallacher was unable to play much golf at home in December due to the snow, he did get down to Largs to see Torrance and their work paid dividends as he picked up a cheque for more than 70,000 in just his second event of the year. "I have changed the start of his downswing. He used to get very narrow and the club head got so far behind him that he released his hands too much at impact," added Torrance. "We have been working on squaring the club face up because he used to hit snap hooks and cuts, but he's cut that out, I think."

While Gallacher and Martin Laird, who is 49th, are flying high in the world rankings, two-time European Tour winner Warren has slipped to 474th after suffering a dramatic dip in form.

After losing his full playing privileges at the end of last season, he managed to secure sponsor's invites for the opening two events on the Middle East Swing but missed the cut in both Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.

He left Torrance three years ago and is now working with Mike Walker, one of Pete Cowen's right-hand men, but his old coach said: "I would take him back if he asked me because I think he's good. When he worked with me he won three tournaments and was ready to go from strength to strength."