Took up golf at the age of 11 and after a brief amateur career, during which he won the 1967 Scottish Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship, he went on to become one of the leading figures on The European Tour during the 1970s and 1980s. Started his professional career by winning the 1968 Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year Award. Altogether, he won 13 times in Europe and eight times elsewhere with his banner year coming in 1969, when he became the then youngest winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy. In the same year, Gallacher also became the youngest man ever to represent Great Britain and Ireland in The Ryder Cup, a record that has subsequently been beaten by Nick Faldo, Sergio Garcia and Paul Way. He went on to compete in eight Ryder Cup Matches before becoming the non-playing Captain of the European Team in 1991, 1993 and 1995. Former professional at Wentworth Club for more than 20 years and on the first day of the new millennium made history by becoming the first professional to be accorded the honour of captaining the club where he worked.