Stephen Gallacher is back for the weekend at Wentworth after two days that could hardly have been more different.
The Scot started with 14 straight pars on Thursday, but yesterday mixed in seven birdies and four bogeys over the same stretch.
“That’s golf, isn’t it,” he shrugged after his 69 to take him to four-under. “I played really well today, left a few out there to be honest. I’ve been playing well and not getting the results, but I play the way I did today…”
Gallacher has two top fives at Wentworth in his career, during his comeback year of 2010 and his Ryder Cup year in 2014, but he hadn’t birdied all four par threes before.
“Maybe I have, I’ve been around that long, so I don’t remember,” he said. “I just kept hitting it stiff at the short holes, nearly holes in one at the second and the 10th.”
Gallacher wants to see a little more speed in the West Course over the weekend, rather than the soft, wet conditions of the last two days.
“The course is immaculate, it’s just a shame about the rain,” he continued. “On Tuesday the course was unbelievably good, firm and fast and bouncy and it’s set up to play like that. Hopefully we get that at the weekend.”
Gallacher isn’t in the Open yet and hopes to play his way on in the next few weeks of events on Tour which double as qualifiers.
“I’m not going to (final) qualifying,” he said. “It’s the Tuesday of Ireland and Ireland’s tough to get to this year up in Ballyliffin. I’d rather finish fifth in Ireland and get there that way.
“If you don’t qualify, it’s no great shakes there’ll be another one next year. Carnoustie’s a great course but so is Muirfield, St George’s, Portrush, all of them really.
“Only Carnoustie is much harder. I think it’s the hardest, they’re all tough when the weather’s bad but if you play them all in a flat calm I’d say Carnoustie is the toughest. Making 12 a par four, they make it four shots harder already.”
Richie Ramsay also booked in for the weekend with four birdies in his last six holes taking him to one-under for the day and to four-under for the championship.
Marc Warren also made the weekend after a par round of 72 got him just inside the cutline, but it was a disappointing week for Scott Jamieson who returned a second 75 to leave him home for the weekend.
