The hunger in 2010 was to resurrect his career, but in 2011 Stephen Gallacher feels more desire to win again on the European Tour and enter golf’s top echelon, where many think he has always belonged.
The 35-year-old begins his campaign to follow up his most consistent season and nearly 1 million euros in winnings at Abu Dhabi next week, hoping to use the Desert Swing of tournaments in the Middle East to propel him into the world’s top 64 and the top World Golf Championship (WCG) events, only a year after his future in professional golf was in doubt.
Illness and a return to the tour school in 2009 meant Gallacher struggled for starts on the main tour, but he recovered his health and his form to regain his playing rights by May and eventually finish in the top 30 in the Race to Dubai.
Now with a free pick of his schedule for 2011, he is targeting winnable and big money events, and intends to follow up his 2004 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory.
“After my win in 2004, I had a big exemption and I think I should probably have kicked on more, and it is my fault that I didn’t,” he said.
“I want to get back more to how I was in 2004 rather than 2005, I want to get back to the mentality of where I am trying to win all the time.
“I think both 2005 and 2006 were negatives for me as I didn’t do as well as I should have.
“I was talking to the amateur boys today about scheduling as a professional and how important it is.
“That’s something I couldn’t do last year, but I will benefit from that this year.
“I will be in a position where I can try and peak for tournaments rather than getting into them on a Tuesday morning.”
Gallacher admits the need to secure his future was an incentive to success last year, but sees the urge to move on to better things as an even bigger catalyst for 2011.
He said, “The way the season went having to play everywhere did me no harm in the middle of the year, but it did towards the end of the season.
“I played 30 events last year the most I have ever played, basically out of necessity when my ideal schedule would be 24 to 25.
“I was ready for a break, but now I can’t wait to get back.’Hungrier'”That’s what you want as it means I’ve got the hunger I think I’m even hungrier this time because I want to repeat what I did last season and there’s just as much at stake this year.
“For instance, I would love to represent Scotland in the world cup, I’d love to get into the top 50 and of course get back to winning.”
He escaped the snows for a week in December to get some training in Spain, staying at the flat of his uncle former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher and now feels primed to come back.
“The swing is good, just a little rusty, but I’ll go out to the Gulf early and have five good rounds before Abu Dhabi,” he said.
“I’ll play the four Middle East events, and I’m 90th in the world just now so if I can have a really good start in those first four tournaments I only need to go down 26 spots to get into the WGC world match play.
“If I can come out of the blocks quick and do half decent in those events I might get close, and I’m getting an Indian visa just in case I need to go to the Avantha Masters if I need to climb another few places to get into that top 64.”
Gallacher has also switched to TaylorMade irons for this year, having used that company’s driver, three-wood and rescue but that is the only change he has made.
“I’m still working with Bob Torrance, David Burns on the short game and also Craig Tumblety on the fitness side,” he said.
“I’ve not changed anything on that side. I was down seeing Bob the other day and he’s delighted with how I am hitting the ball.’No excuses'”I’ve also been working hard on my short game with David, who is also delighted, and my fitness is also good so I’ve got no excuses.”
Gallacher approached the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) to offer his services for advice to the Scottish national team, having wanted to put something back into the game for some time.
“These days the SGU are guiding top amateurs to become professional, which is completely different to when I was an amateur,” he recalled.
“Now they are all getting groomed for professional golf, and I had learned a lot from my mistakes over the years, so if if I can pass on anything to these guys what they need to work on, what I would have done differently, advice on management companies, preparation for tournaments, scheduling then I’m happy to do it.”
Gallacher has also helped Paul Lawrie with his successful foundation in the past and plans something similar for his home area in West Lothian in the future.
“I would love to do something similar to Paul. I’ve helped him with events and given him stuff to auction, and he’s going to give me the template for the way he organised it,” he said.
“I’m in talks about it at the moment maybe not to happen right now, as that would be distracting, but definitely in later years.
“It’s important for Scottish golf to keep putting back into the game.
“The ideal this year would be me and Martin Laird in the world cup again for Scotland, but maybe better than that, having five Scots in the top-100 at the end of this year would be great.”