Bernard Gallacher: Golfer on road to recovery

Bernard Gallacher: Golf 'off the menu' after heart scare. Picture: PA

Gallacher collapsed just over two weeks ago as he was about to give an after-dinner speech at a hotel and was admitted to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in a critical condition.

It was reported that doctors had to restart his heart three times following a cardiac arrest. It is still unclear what caused Gallacher’s heart to stop, but he says he feels well on his way to recovery.

He said: “Golf is off the menu for a while but considering I was dead a few weeks ago it is amazing to know I’ll get back to a normal life soon.

“It’s not too big a hardship. Winter is coming.

“I had no pain, no warning of what was coming. People said I suddenly collapsed. They said it looked like I’d been floored by a boxer.

“Three nurses gave me immediate help. The hotel had a defibrillator, which was incredibly lucky. If it hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. These people saved my life. If you’re going to have a heart attack, have it in Aberdeen.”

The 64-year-old now has a defibrillator fitted which will restart his heart automatically should the problem recur.

The grandfather-of-two also revealed his family, including Sky Sports host daughter Kirsty and son Jamie, slept on couches at the hospital as they kept a bedside vigil.

He said he had been told he cannot drive for six months and should not play golf for four months “as a precaution”.

Gallacher made the first of his eight Ryder Cup appearances as a player in 1969. He went on to win ten European Tour titles but is perhaps best known for his role as Ryder Cup captain in 1991, 1993 and 1995.