In this episode, Stephen Gallacher, 2014 Ryder Cup champion and European Golf Tour veteran, shares what he has learned about himself through his experiences playing professional golf for more than 20 years at the most elite level in the world. Stephen opens up and discusses not only his successes, but how he was also able to work his way through some challenging moments in his career that ultimately led to him being in the winner's circle again. Stephen speaks about defining moments in his career such as winning his first pro tournament in 2004 ( the Alfred Dunhill Cup), being a part of the European team that won the Ryder Cup in 2014, and his most recent victory, the 2019 Hero Challenge in India.
We finish off this episode speaking about the legacy that Stephen hopes to leave on the game and the mission of the Stephen Gallacher Foundation which has given back so much to the game of golf in Scotland.
Stephen's Bio
Stephen James Gallacher is a Scottish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He was born in Dechmont, West Lothian and is the nephew of former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher. He played in a victorious Walker Cup side in 1995 and turned professional later that year.
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 and finished the year ranked 15th on the Order of Merit.
In February 2013, he 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. The win moved him back into the world's top 100.
The following year, he 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, despite a quadruple-bogey on the 7th. His son Jack caddied for him during his win in India. Gallacher was picked as one of the three captain's picks by Paul McGinley for the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Connect With Stephen:
Website: https://www.sgfoundation.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevieggolf
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevieggolf/?hl=en
Special thanks to Bronx based band Conversing with Oceans and Alex Bondarev for creating the podcast music.
https://www.conversingwithoceans.com/
Opening saxophone piece by Peter Diglin