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OMEGA DUBAI DESERT CLASSICJanuary 29, 2014Stephen GallacherDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAUL SYMES: How is the course looking out there? Everyone is saying it's in fantastic condition, as always. STEPHEN GALLACHER: It's the best I've ever seen it. The greens are nice, a bit firmness to them, nice bit of speed, and it's manicured well. They've changed the sort of the steps of it, made lots of run‑offs, and it's as good as I've ever seen it. Q. Stephen, Tiger mentioned you guys were reminiscing about Walker Cup matches from so long ago he couldn't even really remember the year. I'm wondering what your memories of that event are. Did you guys go head‑to‑head? Obviously it was a while ago. STEPHEN GALLACHER: Yeah, it came up because I think Fred is playing in the Senior Open at Porthcawl this year, and that's where me and Tiger played against each other in '95. We played in the foursomes against each other. I never played him in the singles. But he was obviously quite a big‑‑ he was just about to turn pro at that stage and he was a double U.S.Amateur champion, which was obviously unheard of at that time, so he was quite a big prospect. Yeah, we talked about some of the guys on his team and guys that were on my team that are still playing. Q. What was he like back then? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Just the same now. Yeah, just normal. Q. It's safe to say that the last round last year was a bit of a roller coaster. Can you talk us through some of the emotions you felt that day? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Well, first time I'd ever played leading going into the last round. I think I had a two‑ or three‑shot lead, and I bogeyed the first two, so it was a bit of a shaky start, three‑putting the first. It was one of the ones where that's the benefit of leading going into the last round. You've still got 16 holes or 15 holes thereafter to redeem yourself, but if you're coming from behind and you start like that, it's over. When I holed the shot at 16, that was the point I thought it was mine to lose from then on in. Q. That shot at 16, that's one of a number of special shots you hit last year. There's a nice prize up for grabs at 17 this year. Have you had your eye on that? STEPHEN GALLACHER: I'll probably just lay up to be honest. No, I think my caddie will leave me the driver and run because he's on 10 percent. There's no way I'll be laying up for that hole. I think it's a great thing. The hard thing is going to be getting the line. It's quite a blind shot. I'll bet he's way out getting the line for me. I've never seen him work so hard. It's a normal thing. You've got to hit a good shot to even get close to it. If the wind is favourable you'll definitely get on it. Q. When you defended the Dunhill at St. Andrews, does it feel slightly different to be defending, and how did you feel in that year in 2005? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Yeah, it was a bit lower key, the Dunhill, to be honest. I can't really remember that much about it. Totally different scenario because it's three courses, so there's no real‑‑ you can't really get into it until the weekend because everybody is everywhere, where here there have been‑‑ especially with the champions' event, it's sort of been building up for quite a bit. The talk two weeks ago was playing with Tiger and Fred, so it's always in the back of your mind even though you're playing other tournaments, because I was looking forward to it. Yeah, it's nice to have the family out and stuff like that, as well, just supporting me again. Q. Just your thoughts overall on the draw, obviously playing with Tiger and Rory. Was it nice given that in mind to play with Tiger yesterday, and how do you feel about it? Obviously you have big galleries the first couple days. Do you think that'll bring out your best? STEPHEN GALLACHER: I hope so. That's the way you want to be playing, you want to be playing sort of the top guys. They're there for a reason, so if there's anything that you can pick up on or just watch how they play their game, and see if their game is close to theirs, that can give you a bit of a boost, as well. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. I think it's going to be nice. It's going to be a good time, and hopefully it brings the best out of me, yeah. Q. Before winning here last year, you already had a good record on this course. It's obviously one that suits your eye. What in particular do you feel that helps towards that? STEPHEN GALLACHER: I think I'm just quite familiar with it. It's like anything else, I play the course quite a lot, come over on holiday and play it quite a bit. I think just even the sand and stuff like that is pretty familiar from back home, a bit linksey and firm and running, the winds. It's pretty similar apart from the heat, similar to back home. It's just a course I like and I know well. I think it's like anything else, any time you play a course a lot, you know where to hit it and miss it, clubs off the tees, different winds. I think it's just familiarity, really. Q. I've heard a lot of stories over the years from other players who have played alongside Tiger because obviously you're going to be the focal group, even though it's the first two rounds and not a Sunday. I'm wondering whether you've kind of prepared yourself for the amount of movement and frustrations and other things that are going to be going on outside the ropes because it's‑‑ STEPHEN GALLACHER: I'm used to that every time I play with him. When I'm playing a skins game they're talking and walking and taking practice swings. It doesn't really bother me to be honest with you. It's going to happen anyway. I came to know that. You just get on with it. Q. Was yesterday the first day you played with Tiger Woods? STEPHEN GALLACHER: In a pro tournament, yeah, first time since '95. Q. Where did you play in '95? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Walker Cup. Q. Did anything surprise you about yesterday? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Not really, no. Q. Stephen, Craig Lee was asked in Abu Dhabi how he felt about being chased down by Phil Mickelson and Rory and being in that company, and you got the impression that he might have been a bit overwhelmed by it or he didn't feel comfortable, but you seemingly are taking the opposite. What do you put that down to? Is it experience? Are you trying to block out the auras? STEPHEN GALLACHER: Well, we're on a level playing field. We start from scratch, both of us. All three of us, really. You want to play with these guys. That's the thing. I think I'll learn a lot being in the last group playing with Phil, and the first time you play with these guys, they're in the Top 5 in the world, so they obviously do something that‑‑ I think the next time Craig goes head‑to‑head with these guys, he'll find that he'll be in a different mindset and he'll take it a different way. You know, you've got to learn from all these things, the adverse things that happen, and I think it is just a case of if you've been out that often, you play with them that often, that it just becomes the norm. PAUL SYMES: Thanks very much, Stephen. Have a great week. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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