Stephen Gallacher, the two-time Dubai Desert Classic winner, arrived back home sporting a few cuts and bruises that had nothing to do with fending off Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in the Middle East.
Gallacher suffered minor injuries to his nose falling off the bed of his hotel room while celebrating with his children Jack and Ellie. "I was having great fun playing with the kids but fell off the bed," he said. "I've got a couple of cuts, but they'll heal."
Gallacher had been greeted with a hug at Dubai Airport earlier in the day by Sky's Dougie Donnelly while Colin Montgomerie, another former Dubai Desert Classic winner, was also aboard his Glasgow-bound flight.
"It was a very impressive performance and I'm delighted for him," said Montgomerie, who had been the last Scot to defend a European Tour title when he won the PGA Championship three years in a row from 1998 to 2000. "Stephen matched a record I enjoyed and that can only be good for Scottish golf; let's hope now that, given it looks likely he will play all four majors, we can see him representing Scotland later this year [in the Ryder Cup] at Gleneagles."
Montgomerie was staying at home overnight but is bound for Florida this morning and his maiden US Champions Tour event this year at Boca Raton. By contrast, Gallacher has two weeks before he tackles the $9m WGC-Accenture Matchplay Championship from February 19.
Gallacher's Livingston-based caddy, Damien Moore, had two reasons to celebrate: he turned 43 on Monday, hours after his second victory in partnership with Gallacher and the eighth of his career.
Gallacher's manager Ian Stoddard will use the coming weeks booking accommodation in Augusta, Georgia, for his client, who has been confirmed as the new world No. 37 and is sure of a place in the elite Masters field.
Stoddard has spoken of his own excitement after Gallacher's victory. "Stephen's win this year is bigger by miles than last year's because it has put him comfortably into the world top 50 for the time being," he said. "That was the goal. When we sat down in January 2013, there was a plan to go about what's ahead with the Ryder Cup the main goal. No-one is getting ahead of themselves for the Ryder Cup, but that plan has to be based on being in the world top 50, otherwise you have no chance."
While Gallacher has also qualified for the $9m WGC-Cadillac Championship, starting on March 8, Stoddard revealed he is already working on securing the Scot an invitation into the PGA Tour's Honda Classic staged in between the two WGC events.
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