Golf: Gallacher in recovery for crack at Dunhill

The 35-year-old will join nine of Colin Montgomerie's winning team for the tenth staging of the pro-am at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

But he revealed it had been touch and go this time last week after injuring his back doing some hoovering at home in Linlithgow.

"One minute I was doing the hoovering and the next I was lying on the floor after a spasm," said Gallacher in an exclusive pre-tournament interview with the Evening News.

"I had put a joint out and I've been seeing a physiotherapist and chiropractor for the last ten days trying to get me sorted again. I feared I might not be able to play this week."

Gallacher, the winner in 2004, was ordered to do nothing so sat with his feet up at home watching the Ryder Cup.

He played a practice round at Carnoustie yesterday and is hoping he'll be okay to join forces again with Sir Martyn Arbib, his partner six years ago.

"The 13 holes I had was the first golf I had played in 12 days," he added. "It was a bit stiff at the end but I'm around 80 per cent fit and should be okay. I've been looking forward to this event and that's why I've been putting a lot of effort in.

"Gerry Docherty, the Dunfermline football club physio, has been brilliant. He's been to my house a couple of times. I've been taking a bit stick for it - and I won't be doing any more hoovering for a while!"

Gallacher plays his first round tomorrow at St Andrews, where he finished just outside the top 20 in this year's Open and partnered Phil Mickelson in the last round. He then heads to Carnoustie on Friday and Kingsbarns on Saturday - and expects all three courses to be buzzing after the win in Wales.

"It is brilliant as that's what dictates our income every second year," he said. "It was also brilliant viewing and even people who don't play golf have been saying they were engrossed in it."

Graeme McDowell, who clinched Europe's win, was the man Gallacher beat in a play-off to land the Dunhill title, the year before Montgomerie lifted it.

He was delighted to see McDowell emerge as the hero this time but also admitted he had sympathy for American Hunter Mahan, who was in tears afterwards.

"Look at the difference between the two of them - the elation of one and the deflation of the other. I feel sorry for Hunter. It's like the guy who misses the penalty in a World Cup Final, you feel as though you have let your country down.

"It will be great to see so many of the players from Celtic Manor at the Dunhill. It's a great field."

Eightieth in the world and 21st in the Race to Dubai, Gallacher's mission this week is to secure a top-ten finish as there is still a possibility this could be his last appearance until the World Championship in November.

"A top ten would get me into next week's Portugal Masters, while I have requested invites for the two events coming up in Spain," he said. "Due to the fact my ranking is still the one I got at the Tour School last year, realistically I might not play again after this week until Dubai but, hopefully, that won't be the case."

Lee Westwood, one of the heroes at Celtic Manor, heads this week's field and could end Tiger Woods' reign as world No.1.