Golf: Gallacher hails caddie who has the rub of the green

The Lothians star bagged nine birdies in a best-of-the-day 64 to sit just one behind the pacesetters on the Colin Montgomerie-designed course at The Royal Golf Club.

And he reckoned an improved performance on the greens had been partly down to the input from his new caddie.

"I got off to a great start and just built on it," said Gallacher after moving to ten-under at the halfway stage. "I played as good yesterday but didn't birdie any of the par-5s, so that was the difference today. My new caddie, Damian Moore, is great at green reading, which is helping a lot."

So is the work Gallacher, who had to look for a new bagman after the one he worked with last year returned to the fit-again Richard Sterne, has been putting in on his short game since the end of last season. "I've been working a lot on that with (Kingsfield Golf Range pro) Davy Burns and also my Huxley green outside at home, so I hope it keeps working," he added.

Gallacher's great start constitued five straight birdies - one less than co-leader Edoardo Molinari had managed earlier in the day.

"I was eating my breakfast this morning when I saw that Molinari had started with six birdies so I knew a good score was one," said the Scot.

Asked about his main goals for the year, he added: "To try and get into the top 50 in the world and also to win."

Molinari shot a 65 to earn a share of the lead with two of his Ryder Cup team-mates, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson, as well as Frenchman Peter Hanson.

In addition to Gallacher, Richie Ramsay, on four-under, and Montgomerie, Gary Orr and Paul Lawrie, all on three-under, also made the cut. The odd Scot out was Marc Warren, who, for the second event running, missed the cut after being handed a sponsor's invite.