GREAT GALLACHER FIRST MAN TO WIN DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC TWO YEARS IN A ROW - AND EARNS MASTERS DEBUT
Stephen Gallacher with the Omega Dubai Desert Classic trophy fro the second year in a row.
Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)
FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Stephen Gallacher produced another tremendous back-nine fightback to
become the first player to successfully defend the Omega Dubai Desert
Classic.
Bathgate's Gallacher, 39-year-old nephew of Bernard Gallacher, drew on all his powers of recovery to retain the title, win the £25O,OOO first prize and the major bonus of a debut in the Masters as the
curtain came down on The European Tour’s Desert Swing in dramatic
fashion.
That scenario had appeared wholly unlikely for much of a nerve-shredding
final day in Dubai, as Gallacher imploded with four bogeys on the front
nine to fritter away the two-shot overnight lead he had held over Rory
McIlroy.
But the Scot, who came home in 28 shots on the third day, again showed
his liking for the back nine at Emirates GC with a quartet of birdies to
finish on 16 under par and earn a one shot victory over Emiliano
Grillo.
Earlier in the day, the Argentine had set up a grandstand finish – quite
literally – when his approach to the last hole hit the hospitality
stand over the back of the green, and ricocheted onto the putting
surface.
Grillo made the most of his fortune by draining the eagle putt from 40
feet to set the clubhouse target on 15 under par, but Gallacher held his
nerve with a par at the last to sign for a level par round of 72 and
claim his second successive victory in the US$2.5
million event.
The win rocketed Gallacher to seventh place in The Race to Dubai and
into the top 40 of the Official Golf World Ranking, gaining the 39 year
old a place in the Masters Tournament for the first time.
And suddenly he is a live contender for a Ryder Cup place at Gleneagles in September.
Stephen said: “It took everything I have, to be honest. It’s just been an
unbelievable week, and what a way to end it. I was quite fortunate
that no one was running away with it today. Even though I didn’t play my
best on the front nine I hung in there, and
in the end it worked out lovely.
“I’ve never been treated so well, starting with the Champions Challenge
on Tuesday and then playing with Tiger and Rory on the first two days.
It’s such a great tournament, definitely one of my favourites, and to
win it on the 25th anniversary is special.”
Grillo’s cheque for €202,176 was comfortably the biggest of his
burgeoning European Tour career, and moved the Argentine an astonishing
102 places up The Race to Dubai to 17th.
He said: “That second shot on the 18th went a little bit left and a
little bit further than I wanted, but I got lucky with the bounce and
then a bit lucky again with the big putt.
“I’m quite happy with what I’ve done, and it was a good run overall. I
left some putts out there, but the one on the 18th definitely made up
for them. So I’m very happy.”
Third place was shared between American Brooks Koepka and Frenchman
Romain Wattel, who signed for respective rounds of 70 and 66 to finish
on 14 under par.
McIlroy was undone with three bogeys in four holes after the turn, as
the Northern Irishman closed with a round of 74 to fall back into a
share of ninth place on 12 under par.
World Number One Tiger Woods rattled off a trio of closing birdies to finish in a tie for 41st place on five under par.
ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72). Prize money in Euros
272 S Gallacher (Sco) 66 71 63 72 (303,268)
273 E Grillo (Arg) 71 67 69 66 (202,176)
274 R Wattel (Fra) 68 73 67 66, B Koepka (USA) 69 65 70 70 (102,446 each)
275 R Rock (Eng) 67 70 68 70, S Webster (Eng) 71 70 64 70, T Olesen (Den) 71 68 65 71, M Ilonen (Fin) 69 72 70 64 (60,230 each)
276 R McIlroy (NIr) 63 70 69 74, E Molinari (Ita) 65 72 68 71, P Casey (Eng) 70 72 67 67, B Wiesberger (Aut) 70 70 68 68 (35,483 each)
277
F Molinari (Ita) 69 69 71 68, D Willett (Eng) 71 65 73 68, B Rumford
(Aus) 69 70 71 67, S Hansen (Den) 67 71 71 68, P Waring (Eng) 70 70 68
69, T Björn (Den) 72 70 68 67, D Fichardt (RSA) 69 72 66 70 (25,735 each).
278 S Dyson (Eng) 69 69 73 67, J Donaldson (Wal) 69 68 70 71, D McGrane (Irl) 66 70 71 71 (21,168 each).
279
J Campillo (Esp) 68 72 70 69, R Kakko (Fin) 69 69 68 73, M Madsen
(Den) 71 67 72 69, A Wall (Eng) 74 66 69 70, C Wood (Eng) 73 69 70 67, J
Luiten (Ned) 70 69 70 70 (18,651 each).
280
K Broberg (Swe) 71 69 73 67, D Van Der Walt (RSA) 72 70 65 73, S Benson
(Eng) 72 70 70 68, F Zanotti (Par) 72 70 70 68, S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 71
71 70, S Hend (Aus) 69 72 70 69, E De La Riva (Esp) 70 70 72 68, H
Stenson (Swe) 70 67
75 68 (14,898 each).
281 S Kim (SKor) 70 69 72 70, M Siem (Ger) 72 67 73 69, H Otto (RSA) 68 73 69 71, R Karlsson (Swe) 73 67 71 70 (12,374 each).
282
C Doak (Sco) 71 68 71 72, G Stal (Fra) 74 68 73 67, R Cabrera-Bello
(Esp) 71 69 71 71, T Woods (USA) 68 73 70 71, P Larrazábal (Esp) 74 68
69 71, M Baldwin (Eng) 66 74 69 73, T Jaidee (Tha) 68 69 71 74 (10,372 each).
283
S Kapur (Ind) 72 70 70 71, M Crespi (Ita) 69 71 69 74, S Jamieson
(Sco) 73 69 70 71, C Montgomerie (Sco) 70 70 69 74, J Quesne (Fra) 66
70 77 70, S Noh (SKor) 69 72 71 71 (8,006 each).
284
A Cañizares (Esp) 74 67 74 69, P Lawrie (Sco) 68 71 72 73, M Kieffer
(Ger) 71 70 71 72, M Hoey (NIr) 70 72 73 69, J Van Zyl (RSA) 71 68 71
74, R Sterne (RSA) 66 73 69 76, M Carlsson (Swe) 69 69 74 72, G
Havret (Fra) 70 72 72 70,
A Quiros (Esp) 69 72 74 69, G Bourdy (Fra) 71 68 73 72, F Couples
(USA) 70 71 73 70 (5,376 each).
286 J Walters (RSA) 69 68 75 74, R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71 69 77 (4,094 each).
287 C Del Moral (Esp) 70 72 73 72, A Levy (Fra) 69 72 76 70, L Slattery (Eng) 70 71 70 76 (3,639 each).
289 J Lima (Por) 71 71 75 72 (3,326).
291 T Lewis (Eng) 71 69 78 73 (2,729)
Labels: EUROPEAN TOUR
