Stephen Gallacher received a welcome boost ahead of this week’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles after being confirmed as Martin Laird’s partner for November’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China.
The 2004 Alfred Dunhill Links champion said he received a text last Wednesday from compatriot Laird informing Gallacher of his choice.
“It’s a great honour any time you can represent your country,” said Gallacher. “As you can see by some of the other teams that are playing in it, it's a strongly-contested week and with the tradition Scotland have in it I’m looking forward to it.”
Gallacher sees his World Cup inclusion as just-reward for his efforts on the course over the past two years and believes his and Laird’s natural games can combine to good effect in China.
“It’s like a well done for the last couple of years. It means you’re being a wee bit more consistent, especially when it’s over two years.
“[Laird is] a longer hitter than me off the tee and he hits it pretty straight, fades it left-to-right and I hit it right-to-left. We should be hopefully able to work out the right-to-left and left-to-right holes. He's a good ball-striker as well and he's a better putter than me – well, going by stats, anyway. I'll try and leave him the putts to hole!”
Laird and Gallacher struck up a friendship last year at Whistling Straits over breakfast and lunch, leading to more time spent together on the course as well.
He said: “I played with him a couple of rounds practise at the US Open, The Open and the US PGA. He's a good lad and we get on quite a bit. He's not lost his Scottish roots.”
Gallacher also believes the work he has put in on his driving could be key to a solid placing on the undulating Perthshire course this week, with its propensity for right-to-left holes. He reserved special praise for Gleneagles, host venue for The 2014 Ryder Cup, and also the appeal of home comforts when back playing on Scottish soil.
“It's a course I like and enjoy playing as well and staying at home as well, which like is a breath of fresh air, too. Everything is positive and I just want to do really well and get it started.”
The par 72 PGA Centenary course, opened in 1993 and designed by Jack Nicklaus, has had minor alterations made with recontouring having recently been completed on the seventh green.
Of the changes, Gallacher said: “I played it two weeks ago and played it last week. They’ve made a good change to the seventh, as well, it's a good green, that.”
Gallacher appeared in jovial mood at the press conference in Gleneagles, having been buoyed by his World Cup selection, and joked that the only downside to being paired with Laird was perhaps their differing attitudes towards fashion.
“I said to [Martin], ‘As long as I don’t need to be in white trousers, I’m your man.’ He’s a bit skinnier and leaner than me,” Gallacher chuckled before adding, “I’ll be pushing for the navy that week.”
The Omega Mission Hills World Cup returns to the European Tour Schedule after a year’s absence, moving to Mission Hills Resort on Hainan Island. First played in 1953, when Argentina triumphed, this year will be the 56th edition of the World Cup with the United States holding the record for most number of victories with 23 wins. In 2009, the last staging, it was the Italian brothers of Edoardo and Francesco Molinari who claimed victory at Mission Hills Golf Club.
To view the roll of honour back to the first staging of the World Cup in 1953, please clickhere.
