Stephen Gallacher calls on his own personal cheerleading team as he continues fine vein of form

ON A day when four generations of his family were out on the Loch Lomond course together, Stephen Gallacher maintained his recent eye-catching form to sit handily placed after a blustery opening day in the £3 million Barclays Scottish Open.

Twelve months after he trudged his way around the same course knowing he was about to accept defeat in a losing battle with a viral illness, the 35-year-old had a spring back in his step as he thrilled the home crowds with a four-under-par 67.

Watched by his 84-year-old grandad Barney, dad Jim, who's 57, and nine-year-old son Jack, Gallacher made the perfect start with a birdie at the treacherous tenth, his opening hole, before picking up two more shots back-to-back at the 13th and 14th, where he hit his tee shot at the par-4 to eight feet and was disappointed not to make an eagle.

The sole blemish on his card was a three-putt bogey from 40 feet at the 17th, but the 2004 Dunhill Links champion repaired that damage by chipping in at the first and then holed from ten feet at the fourth for his fifth birdie of the round, which could easily have been even better such was the quality of his overall play.

"It's always great to play well in your home country," said Gallacher, who closed with a 64 two years ago to tie for sixth. "Even though I finished down the field in France last week, I felt confident coming in here and it's a big draw to play Loch Lomond, one the best courses in the world, and then St Andrews, one of the most unique courses in the world, back-to-back in your home country."

Gallacher, who didn't pick up a golf club for three months after missing the cut in this event last year as he took the rest he needed to shake off his virus, secured a place at St Andrews on the back of a sparkling run of form, finishing fourth in the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour's flagship event, before adding two more top tens in the Madrid Masters and the Celtic Manor Wales Open.

"It just shows you what a difference a year can make," admitted the former Walker Cup player. "What happened last year (due to his illness] has probably helped me in a positive way. Gary Orr went through a similar thing a few years ago and he said it was a chance to ask yourself some frank questions. I was idling along and underachieving a bit.

"I worked hard over the winter on my short game with David Burns (one of the pros based at the Kingsfield Golf Centre outside Linlithgow] and also with Bob Torrance. My technique has got a bit better and so, too, has my putting since I started using a two-thumb putting grip. As a result, I've been more consistent and that's what you've got to be out here."

According to Gallacher, the big difference in his recent return to form has been an improvement on the greens. "I've always been pretty good at hitting the ball and it basically comes down to how you putt," he said.

"If you watch the top guys, their putting is unbelievable. I spoke to my uncle Bernard about it and, in his playing days, he averaged around 27.5 putts per round whereas I was something like 32. He said I needed to get it down 30 and the two-thumb grip seemed to help me straightaway."

No-one was happier to see Gallacher's name up on the leaderboard yesterday than son Jack, though he wasn't happy with his father for not picking up a birdie at one of the par-5s. "He's pretty critical," revealed Gallacher. "He asked me why I didn't go for the third green in two. He walked with me in the practice round and it felt as though I've got two caddies this week. But, when you get 28-30 weeks away from home in a year, it's great to have your family here."

So, too, according to Gallacher, is the fact he's sleeping in his own bed this week, as will be the case when he bids to make the cut in a major for the first time at St Andrews next week. z