Rory McIlroy chat whets Stephen Gallacher's appetite to win again

Stephen Gallacher is still hungry for success. Picture: Bruce White/SNS

The 2014 Ryder Cup team-mates were reunited as guests at Oliver Fisher’s wedding at Archerfield Links and their conversation has left Gallacher raring to go in this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC  Championship.

The 44-year-old signed off last season by making nine cuts in a row and, feeling even better now about his swing after flying to Florida last month to see one of the game’s leading coaches, Sean Foley, is hoping he can add to three European Tour triumphs  this year.

“I want to give it another three or four good goes,” said Gallacher as he prepared to get his 23rd season on the circuit under way at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in a field that includes Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, the world No 2 and No 3 respectively.

“I had a good chat with Rory, Thomas Bjorn and Shane Lowry down at Archerfield for Oli Fisher’s wedding. It was good to catch up with all of them. Outwith tournaments, you don’t get time to let your hair down… and we certainly did that! It is always good to speak to these guys and that has  definitely whetted my appetite for the new season.

“The closer it gets the more you want to get back playing. I thought about going down to South Africa last month, but I felt that my game needed some sharpening up. I’ve been down to see Mike Kanski, Phil Kenyon’s No 2, to do some work on my putting and I’ve also been out seeing Sean Foley.”

Having been encouraged about how their partnership worked in the second half of last season, Gallacher has retained his teenage son, Jack, for caddying duties this year and says he has opened his eyes to potential improvements to his game.

“It was pleasing to make 13 out of 15 cuts last year with Jack on the bag,” added the two-time Omega Dubai Desert Classic winner. “He’s been good on the bag and he’s also re-energised me a bit. I’ve got a Trackman now after he asked, ‘why are you not using that?’

“I’m also now working with a stats company, 15th Club, the boys who worked with Thomas Bjorn for the Ryder Cup. I’m future-proofing. I’ve not really worked with a lot of technology in the past, but there’s no point not using something that’s there for you.

“I think that having a young fresh pair of eyes in Jack has helped in that respect. If I can even get one small thing out of these two things, I think it could make a huge difference. I definitely have the same old hunger. I wouldn’t be making the investments in my game that I have recently if I didn’t want to try to win again.

“I would also like to be the player who maybe played in more European Tour events than (record-holder) Sam Torrance. You never know. I just need to play five or six good seasons.”

Gallacher is among eight Scots teeing up in this week’s $7 million Rolex Series event, which gets under way on Wednesday, a day earlier than usual, due to football’s Asian Cup taking place in the UAE at the moment.

“I came out a bit early and I’ve been practising at Jumeirah Golf Estates doing some testing with wedges and clubs with Titleist,” he said. “I also played a couple of nine holes at the Emirates (scene of his two Desert Classic successes) and it’s always nice going back there. Everything is going to plan and I’m looking forward to getting going.”