Stephen James Gallacher (born 1 November 1974) is a Scottish professional golfer who played on the European Tour.
Early life and amateur career In 1974, Gallacher was born in Dechmont, West Lothian. He is the nephew of former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher and cousin of Sky Sports news presenter Kirsty Gallacher.
Gallacher won the 1994 European Amateur and a couple of important amateur tournaments in Britain. He played in a victorious Walker Cup side in 1995 and turned professional later that year.
Professional career In 1995, Gallacher turned professional. He first played on the European Tour in 1996 but struggled to begin with. In 2000, however, he reached the top hundred on the Order of Merit for the first time, placing 56th. In 2004, he recorded his first win on the tour at the Dunhill Links Championship, which is one of the richest golf tournaments in Europe, and finished the year ranked 15th on the Order of Merit.
In February 2013, Gallacher ended a 201-tournament wait for his second victory on the European Tour, when he won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic by three strokes. He held the lead going into the final round after he shot his best career round of 62 on the European Tour in the third round. Despite two bogeys in his first two holes, Gallacher clinched victory with an eagle on the 16th hole. The win moved Gallacher back into the world's top 100.
The following year, Gallacher defended his title with a one stroke victory at the 2014 Omega Dubai Desert Classic for his third European Tour victory. He is the first golfer to ever successfully defend the title. Five years after his title defense in Dubai, he won again on the European Tour by claiming the 2019 Hero Indian Open, India's premier event, with a birdie on the 18th at the Gary Player course at the DLF Golf and Country Club near Delhi, India, despite a quadruple-bogey on the 7th. His son Jack caddied for him during his win in India.
Gallacher was one of the three captain's picks by Paul McGinley for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
In December 2022 Gallacher was announced by Ryder Cup Europe as captain of the 2023 European Junior Ryder Cup team, for the match against United States in Rome, Italy ahead of the 2023 Ryder Cup match.
Amateur wins 1991 Scottish Boys Strokeplay Championship 1992 Scottish Boys Strokeplay Championship, Scottish Amateur Championship 1994 European Amateur, Scottish Youths Amateur Championship 1995 Scottish Amateur Open Stroke Play Championship, Lytham Trophy
Professional wins (5) European Tour wins (4) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up110 Oct 2004Dunhill Links Championship−19 (70-66-66-67=269)Playoff Graeme McDowell23 Feb 2013Omega Dubai Desert Classic−22 (63-70-62-71=266)3 strokes Richard Sterne32 Feb 2014Omega Dubai Desert Classic (2)−16 (66-71-63-72=272)1 stroke Emiliano Grillo431 Mar 2019Hero Indian Open1−9 (67-74-67-71=279)1 stroke Masahiro Kawamura 1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–2) No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result12004Dunhill Links Championship Graeme McDowellWon with birdie on first extra hole22013Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles Tommy Fleetwood, Ricardo GonzálezFleetwood won with birdie on first extra hole32014Nordea Masters Victor Dubuisson, Thongchai JaideeJaidee won with birdie on first extra hole
Challenge Tour wins (1) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up17 Jun 1998KB Golf Challenge−14 (63-71-69-67=270)2 strokes Erol Şimşek
Challenge Tour playoff record (0–1) No.YearTournamentOpponentResult11998Audi Quattro Trophy Marcello SantiLost to birdie on fourth extra hole
Results in major championships
Tournament19951996199719981999Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTPGA Championship Tournament2000200120022003200420052006200720082009Masters TournamentU.S. OpenCUTThe Open ChampionshipCUTPGA ChampionshipCUT Tournament201020112012201320142015Masters TournamentT34CUTU.S. OpenCUTCUTCUTThe Open ChampionshipT23T57T21T15CUTPGA ChampionshipT18CUTT61CUTCUT
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied
Summary Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts madeMasters Tournament 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1U.S. Open 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 3 8 4PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 2Totals 0 0 0 0 0 4 20 7 Most consecutive cuts made – 3 (2013 Open Championship – 2014 Masters) Longest streak of top-10s – 0
Results in The Players Championship Tournament20142015The Players ChampionshipCUTT38 CUT = missed the halfway cut "T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships Results not in chronological order before 2015. Tournament20052006200720082009201020112012201320142015ChampionshipT53T6T66Match PlayR64R64T52InvitationalT58T44T4756ChampionsT63T24
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play "T" = Tied Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.
Team appearances Amateur European Boys' Team Championship (representing Scotland): 1992 (winners) Jacques Léglise Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1992 (winners) European Amateur Team Championship (representing Scotland): 1993 (winners), 1995 (winners) Eisenhower Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1994 Walker Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1995 (winners)
Professional World Cup (representing Scotland): 2005, 2011, 2013 Seve Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2013 Royal Trophy (representing Europe): 2013 (winners) EurAsia Cup (representing Europe): 2014 Ryder Cup (representing Europe): 2014 (winners)
See also 2009 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
References
External links