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How skipping school in Bathgate didn't hold back golfing Gallachers
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
There was good reason why uncle and nephew were afforded total silence during Glasgow get-together
Stephen and Bernard Gallacher show off the Ryder Cup during their appearance as guests of honour at the annual PGA in Scotland Lunch in the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow | Kenny Smith/The PGA
It’s one of the most famous-names in Scottish golf, hence why you could have heard a pin drop in a room filled with around 700 people as Bernard Gallacher and his nephew, Stephen, talked golf in general and the Ryder Cup in particular as guests of honour at the PGA in Scotland Annual Lunch in the Glasgow Hilton.
According to one of the organisers, it had been a sell-out well in advance and guests were treated to some fantastic tales during a captivating chat with Ian Carter, the BBC’s golf correspondent, in his role on the day as Master of Ceremonies.
Beforehand, the duo sat down separately with this correspondent and one other Scottish golf writer for a pre-lunch blether and, having known both of them for a long time, it was a pleasure to hear them talk openly about a number of topics, including how it had all started for them at their beloved Bathgate Golf Club in West Lothian.
“Playing golf at Bathgate I wasn’t bothered about school,” smiled Bernard, now 76 but, 12 or so years after suffering a cardiac arrest at a golf dinner in Aberdeen and having his life saved by CPR and a defibrillator at the hotel, looking a picture of health. “My heart was set on golf. When your classroom is right across the road from the course and you’re gazing out on it, you just want to be playing.”
As Stephen duly discovered. “What was school?” he joked before admitting it had been pretty similar for him at a young age. “My uncle went to the catholic school and his school did look directly on to the golf course, whereas I went to the protestant school, but they were 800 yards apart in Bathgate.
“When I was at the golf course in the afternoons, the truant officer at the time was my gran’s cousin, so it would have been Bernard’s uncle. But, as long as they knew where was, they didn’t seem to mind. And my PE teacher was the captain of the club. By hook or by crook, they kind of knew where I was going, eh? I’d made my choice and my intentions clear - I was never not going to become a golfer.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t finish school early. I actually stayed on. I used to copy off the girls in front - I think one of them is now my pal’s wife. I also knew the adjudicator at the time as his son played on the golf team with me. I was in foundation Maths but higher Physics and the teacher would ask me ‘how are you in my class, mate?’ I just said to him ‘I’ve taken you every afternoon and I’ve taken PE every afternoon and I won’t be coming’ and he went ‘no bother’.
“I always remember Steven Rosie (now the PGA Professional at Glenbervie Golf Club), who is at the lunch today, getting expelled for playing golf. Bathgate had a healthy junior section and you had to put the practice in (smiling).”
Bernard Gallacher enjoyed his finest hour when leading Europe to victory in the 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill Country Club | AFP via Getty Images
Though certainly not advocating that anyone should be doing it nowadays, skipping school didn’t do either of the Gallachers any harm. Bernard won ten times on the European Tour, played on eight Ryder Cup teams and was captain three times, including a win at Oak Hill in 1995. After following in his footsteps by turning professional, Stephen claimed four DP World Tour triumphs, played on a winning Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles in 2014 and captain Europe in the Junior Ryder Cup on two occasions, including a thumping win in Rome in 2013 that stopped a rot after six successive defeats.
“It is nice,” admitted Stephen of sharing the spotlight at the Glasgow event with his uncle, who was the long-standing club professional at Wentworth before retiring in 1996. He still lives in the area and remains a popular figure, as witnessed by this correspondent on more than one occasion during chats in the tennis and health club at the exclusive Surrey venue in BMW PGA Championship week. “It’s just a pity my dad wasn’t here as it’s one of those events he’d have liked. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my uncle playing golf. That’s the big thing I try to do with the foundation because I had golf in my family the whole way whereas some people don’t have that.
“When I was ten minutes old, I was a member of Bathgate Golf Club. It was a prize-giving night and when my dad found out I was born, he put my application in there and then. That was my introduction to golf and, even when I was a nipper, Bernard was playing in the Ryder Cup before then going on to be a Ryder Cup captain.
“I obviously knew all about Eric Brown (who started Bathgate’s Ryder Cup legacy by both playing and being a captain in the biennial event) but never met him. It is nice for me and my uncle as he has helped me along the way. He gave me a goal to try and get into the Ryder Cup and helped me turn professional. It’s sort of been a team effort, I suppose.”
Stephen Gallacher, pictured playing in Barbados in April, had a promising first season in the senior ranks | Marianna Massey/Getty Images
As a young truant back in the day, did Stephen ever envisage he’d still be going strong at 51, having just finished an encouraging first season in the senior ranks? “No, I didn’t,” he admitted with a smile. “I was just thinking this the other day.
“When I played in the Senior US Open this year, they put a Walker Cup badge on your locker and I was talking about it with Peter Baker, someone I now play with quite a bit, as there’s not been many people - I think it’s only about 30 - who have played in both the Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup and I was lucky to play on two winning teams.
“And there’s only been 170 guys who’ve played for Europe in the Ryder Cup. When you think about that when you were dogging school, it’s pretty incredible.”
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Why Scotland should celebrate achievements on and off golf course
By Martin Dempster - The Scotsman
Welcome return of Scottish Golf Awards should inspire potential future winners
It had been eight years since it had been held and, with England and Ireland having continuously marked achievements in the game and a resumption of Wales doing so in 2023, the return of the Scottish Golf Awards was certainly a welcome development.
Yes, of course, there are lots of people out there who have no interest whatsoever in such events because, quite frankly, all they care about is their own golf and there is nothing really wrong with that.
At the same time, though, there are lots of others who are fiercely passionate about seeing Saltires on leaderboards around the world, so it is only right that achievements by Scottish golfers should be celebrated in the right and proper way.
It was unfortunate that all the winners of the four player awards were unable to attend the glitzy Glasgow gathering on Friday night, but that was merely down to playing schedules that meant Bob MacIntyre, Gemma Dryburgh, Calum Scott and Hannah Darling were all in the US.
With all due respect to Ewen Ferguson and Graeme Robertson, the two others in contention for it, it was a no-brainer, of course, that MacIntyre won the Male Professional of the Year Award on the back of his title triumphs in the RBC Canadian Open and Genesis Scottish Open last year.
In the case of Dryburgh, meanwhile, her Female Professional of the Year Award was also well justified on what she had achieved in the time the event hadn’t been held, with the same being the case for Darling, who won Female Amateur of the Year.
It must have been a close call for the judging panel when it came to that one, though, bearing in mind that Lorna McClymont had also helped Great Britain & Ireland pull off a stunning Curtis Cup victory at Sunningdale after winning the Scottish Women’s Championship and getting to the final of The R&A Women’s Amateur Championship as well.
As would have been the case as those judges gave the nod to 152nd Open Silver Medal winner Calum Scott over Gregor Graham, who landed both the South African Amateur Championship and Brabazon Trophy last year, for the Male Amateur of the Year Award.
It was a nice touch, though no real surprise really given that both families are a credit to the game in this country, that Stuart Graham, Gregor’s dad, was one of the first to congratulate Alex Scott, Calum’s father, after he’d picked up the prize on his behalf.
Though easier said than done, it would be good going forward if a player presence could be possible because hearing what they have to say in person as opposed to a video provides a much better perspective and, let’s face it, there’s nothing that beats seeing joy in a room.
Given my personal connection to Fife, it was nice to see Dunnikier Park in Kirkcaldy being recognised for some terrific work with local men, women and children from a variety of social and economic backgrounds through the Golf For All Community Award and, equally so, Fife Golf Trust, which, in the words of golf courses manager David Gray, aims to be “sustainable champions”, landing the Impact and Innovation Award.
For me, though, the two main highlights on the night were delivered as first Alan Hamilton and Fiona Kelly then June McEwan claimed the Spirit of Golf Award and Lifetime Honour Award respectively.
It had been revealed earlier in the day at the Scottish Golf AGM that the membership of both boys and girls at Scottish clubs had grown last year and it’s down to the likes of Hamilton and Kelly through their fabulous efforts in the Forth Valley that has been made possible.
Golf is nothing without the people who are prepared to give up their time to help encourage others and, driven by Hamilton and Kelly, Forth Valley Junior Golf is a great example of why those who constantly decry the state of the game at grass-roots level in this country are well off the mark.
As for McEwan, it was no surprise that she not only received a standing ovation but the odd tear was shed, too, because the East Lothian women epitomises all that is good about golf and what a wonderful servant she has been to the game in Scotland.
Having volunteered in various roles over five decades, she’s witnessed lots of comings and goings and, at times, has been left scratching her head along with numerous others about this, that or the next thing.
Hats off to Robbie Clyde, Scottish Golf’s CEO, for being the driving force behind these awards being resurrected and to his team for delivering a fitting celebration at voco Grand Central Glasgow in partnership with Limitless and 21 CC Group.
There was no hiding a real sense of pride and passion in the room and here’s hoping that appetites have been whetted in the quest to keep delivering Scottish success both on and off the golf course.
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Scottish Golf Awards / 14th March 2025
We're excited to announce Eilidh Barbour & Martin Geissler as our presenters for the 2025 Scottish Golf Awards!
Learn more about our hosts who are self-confessed golf fanatics!
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Scottish Golf Tourism Week - March 2025
Introducing our finalists for the Best Premium Hotel - 4 Star or Equivalent category:For more information and tickets, visit: bit.ly/4am302H
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Scottish Golf Tourism Awards 2025
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