Golf: Gallacher's Scottish Open tilt could be just the ticket for star

His season, in fact, was finished. The former Dunhill Links champion finally admitted defeat in his struggle with a debilitating illness and didn't touch a club for another three months.

Yet, 12 months on, Gallacher has arrived back at Loch Lomond with a real spring in his step after a sparkling run of form that has catapulted him up the world rankings and also into the top 30 in the Race to Dubai. He's also qualified for next week's 150th anniversary of the Open Championship at St Andrews and, all in all, the contrast from where he was a year ago is quite remarkable.

"Due to my illness, I was advised by David Garland (the European Tour's Director of Tour Operations) and Jamie Spence (Chairman of its Tournament Committee] that I shouldn't even have been playing in the French Open the week before Loch Lomond," revealed Gallacher.

"However, in addition to the fact I had finished sixth in the Scottish Open the year before, I had also given out a lot of tickets for Loch Lomond to my mates so I thought I'd give it a go. In hindsight, I know I shouldn't have played."

If that was a mistake, Gallacher certainly rectified himself when he decided his comeback should be at the season-ending Tour School instead of waiting to use the medical exemption he'd secured for 11 events on the 2010 Tour schedule. He finished third in Girona to open up two avenues in his bid to extend a 12-year unbroken stint on the European Tour.

By the time the 35-year-old returned to the circuit earlier this year, he had a fresh outlook, having used his spell recovering from sarcoidosis to scrutinise every aspect of his game and, where necessary, make some key changes.

"The break was the best thing that could have happened," he admitted. "I took the chance to have an operation on my hand but, more importantly, it helped me make some changes that, in turn, have got my passion back. I had time to reflect last year. I spoke to Gary Orr, who'd gone through something similar after hurting his back. You can sit and ask yourself the frank questions. How can I improve this or that? It was almost a problem-solving exercise. I went through a lot of upheaval and it was a torrid time as there was a lot going on in the background. It's all been worth it, though. I'm playing the clubs I want to play, playing the ball I want to play and wearing the clothes I want to wear. I'm back enjoying it and I'm practising harder. I've got goals now. I'm changing them all the time. My first one was to keep my card - bang, that's done. The Open has also been achieved and now the Race to Dubai and top 100 in the world are in my sights."

Going into Loch Lomond, he's just outside the top 20 in the Race to Dubai - the leading 60 qualify for the season-ending Dubai World Championship - and he's around 130th in the world rankings, a rise of 300 places since the start of the year.

"I'm feeling comfortable under pressure and that's the Holy Grail in this game," remarked the former Walker Cup player. "When you start to get comfortable, you've got a chance of winning - it's as simple as that. The year I won the Dunhill Links (in 2004], I think had six or seven top tens."

Six years on from beating Graeme McDowell in a play-off at St Andrews, Gallacher feels his game is "different class" and is confident he can do well at Loch Lomond before turning his attention to a first appearance in the world's oldest major in five years.

"Loch Lomond is always fantastic. I've played it well in the past, missing an Open spot by a shot two years ago after a 64 in the last round, and you can't beat your pals watching you," he said. "It is a brilliant field this year. I know people talk about recessions and in England they've only got one European Tour event this year. But, in Scotland, we've got five big events - this, The Open, The Senior Open, the Dunhill Links and the Johnnie Walker.

"As for the 150th anniversary of The Open at St Andrews, I definitely wanted to be there. Anywhere you've got good memories you are in with a shout as you can only think good things, which is half the battle. Funnily enough, I couldn't play the Old Course as an amateur and didn't really like it to start with. The more you play it the more you realise it is utterly brilliant, though.

"Up to now, I've never made the cut in a major but my game at the moment is like night and day to what it was in the past. I think I've overkilled it in the past so I'm just going to treat it like a normal tournament. I'll play the course in practice, get my gameplan and stick to it. I feel as if I deserve to be there with the golf I've played and that's down to the hard work I put in over the winter. It is paying off now."

So, too, it seems is his decision to cut back on the number of people giving him advice. While he still works with Bob Torrance, Gallacher isn't as reliant on the Largs guru as much as used to be. He's also balancing that with the work he does on his short game with David Burns, one of the pros attached to Kingsfield, which is almost a second home to Gallacher when he's not playing in a tournament around Europe. "I don't work with psychologists anymore - it's just Bob, Dave and a fitness expert," he said. "I think have been guilty of being overcoached. I spoke to my uncle Bernard about that and trying to learn off different guys like Paul Lawrie and Gary Orr. There's no danger of me resting on my laurels. It's onwards and upwards.

I think a place in top 100 in the world is a realistic target and if I can get there, then I'll be aiming to stay there."

"When you start to get comfortable, you've got a chance of winning"