Less than a week after trudging through the rugged terrain of the Scottish Highlands, braving freezing rain and the risk of hypothermia on a 40-mile hike, Stephen Gallacher was battling the elements again in the first round of the Johnnie Walker Classic.
However, on this occasion Gallacher was drenched to the skin due to the cloying humidity at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand, and in greater danger of collapsing due to the mercury hitting 32 degrees Centigrade then the bitter cold and driving rain he endured just five days earlier. But, to borrow the sponsors' motto, Gallacher managed to 'Keep Walking'.
The 32 year old from Bathgate charged home in 31 for a six under par 66 and a share of second place with Peter Hanson of Sweden, England’s Graeme Storm and Canada’s Mike Weir, one shot behind Australian leader Brad Kennedy, who fired an opening 65.
Gallacher undertook the gruelling two-day hike with a group of mates in order to build up his stamina and fitness for another long, hard season on The European Tour International Schedule. Clearly, the tactic paid off with Gallacher perched on the shoulder of the leader.
He explained: “I went with six of my friends and we were walking through the heather, soaked to the bone in seven degrees (Centigrade) compared to over 30 degrees here. We did a total of 40 miles in two days. That was my preparation for this tournament! It was good. I enjoyed it.
“I weighed in at 17 stones with my back pack on, so that means I carried 35lbs across country. I’ve never been to Thailand or Malaysia before and you have to be fit to play here. I went through about eight litres of water to stay rehydrated in this heat. Coming from Scotland we are not used to this. We never get humidity like this.”
Meanwhile, Weir’s pursuit of global golfing success took on a positive dimension at Blue Canyon Country as the former Masters Champion conjured up his 66. The 36 year old Canadian vowed to expand his travel plans once his children started to grow up, and his Thai debut produced a contented response from the first left hander to triumph around Augusta National in 2003.
“I’ve been excited about coming here for a long time” said Weir, who packed away his ski poles at home in Utah on Sunday before flying to Thailand to pick up his clubs again in the baking heat of Phuket.
“As I’ve got older, my plan was to play more worldwide when my kids reached an age to understand what dad was doing and were comfortable with that. When they were younger, I wanted to be around a bit more.
“So the plan going forward is to play more worldwide and this is kind of the start of it. I’ve played in China and Korea a few years ago but last season I had a couple o compressed discs in my neck and two or three hour flights would kill me.”
After racking up six birdies and a stunning eagle three at the 11th, Weir underlined the fact that, whereas he considers himself a “two handicap” skier at home in Salt Lake City, he is genuine world class when he steps on the first tee anywhere in the world.
He added; “This brings me back to the early days when I played in Australia and Canada and had to tough it out. It’s a different scenario here. On The European Tour the guys are much closer knit because there are only a couple of hotels to stay in. On the PGA Tour there can be 30 different hotels spread all over the place and you never see anybody.
“It’s a different atmosphere. You get a chance to see people a little more off the golf course. I think it’s a good thing to get to know who you’re playing against.”
The highlight of Weir’s round came at the 11th – his second hole – where he his a rescue club from 230 yards to eight feet for his spectacular eagle.
Kennedy topped Weir’s effort with an eight-birdie 65 to lead the tournament and to underline the fact that a man from the Gold Coast could, indeed, show a Midas touch on the Blue Canyon greens.
The 32 year old, who lost his European Tour card in 2005 to resume his career ‘Down Under’, put in some hard work at home with Ian Triggs, the Australian also responsible for the female phenomenon, Karrie Webb.
He said; “I’ve been working with Ian for about nine years now and we found a couple of keys at the start of the year. My ball striking has come a long way in the last couple of years but my short game has always been my strength and what gets you in contention. Now I feel ready to play these next four weeks in a row.”
Storm, like Gallacher paying his first visit to Thailand, was six under par after ten holes but despite getting to seven under after13, a bogey at the 16th dropped him back into the four-way tie for second. The highlight for Storm was a 97 yard log wedge straight into the hole for an eagle two at the tenth.
Title favourite Ernie Els launched his bid for a third Johnnie Walker Classic with a one over par 73 while second favourite Retief Goosen, another former title holder, birdied two of the last three holes for a 68.
