Stephen Gallacher is determined not to let the possibility of a dream Ryder Cup debut on home soil distract him from the task in hand at this week’s D+D REAL Czech Masters at Albatross Golf Resort.
The Scot is just outside the automatic qualification places, with the points race coming to an end next weekend before Paul McGinley announces his three captain’s picks.
“Obviously The Ryder Cup will be in the back of my mind,” said Gallacher. “The hardest thing is just trying to do what you do normally. I’m in a position with two tournaments to go where I can still automatically qualify, which is a great place to be.
“It’s exciting and it’s just a case of trying to do as well as you can at this tournament and prepare to win it. It’s been good golf that got me into this position so the worst thing I can do is try and think of something else.
“I'm just taking it week by week, until it’s done. You’ve got to play your own game. Some tournaments you’ll be more aggressive and others you’ll be more cautious depending on the course lay-out and set-up and the weather, but once I get on the golf course I won’t really think about it much.
“Off the course, it’s just the desire to get there so I just have to keep doing what I’m doing. It is what it is, it’s The Ryder Cup in Scotland and I want to be there so the only way I can do that is by playing well.”
If Gallacher was looking for some good omens this week, he can cast his mind back to 1998 when he won his first professional title in Prague at the KB Golf Challenge on the Challenge Tour.
“In 1998, it was my first professional win here in Prague,” he added. “I've played a lot of professional events all over the Czech Republic but it’s always nice to come back.
“Back in the day it was great coming here when golf was just developing, but it’s great to come here and see the strides they’ve taken since then, there are courses everywhere and to a really high standard.
“It’s in great condition, quite exposed though so it depends on the elements so it’s a great track and I'm sure it will be a really good tournament.”
