Hearing a doctor utter the words “you’ll need to get it cut off” is hardly a phrase to send morale soaring through the roof.
For Stephen Gallacher, though, it was a statement that brought considerable relief instead of cross-legged wincing and wailing.
The niggling hand injury that had been causing him all manner of aches, pains and missed cuts since last May finally got to the point where the surgeon had to rummage around in his tray, dig the knife out and stick it in Gallacher’s wrist.
“It was a nightmare really,” reflected Gallacher as he prepares to resume his European Tour campaign in this week’s Shenzhen Open in China. “For the last four tournaments of last year I was dying. I couldn’t warm up, I couldn’t hit any balls in practice, I had to pull out of pro-ams. In December I had two more cortisone injections but then the pain came back worse than ever. The doc finally said ‘you’ll need to get it cut off’.”
What was lopped off was a bothersome bit of tendon. “The tendon is like a cable and he’s just cut it and all the water and fluid came out,” added Gallacher as he explained the gory details. “It’s just a tiny scar but he went in right under the pad of the hand. I phoned the surgeon up the other week and said ‘it’s still sore after hitting balls’. But he said I’ll have discomfort for three months and that’s normal. The big thing is that I can’t do it any more damage and it’s a huge relief.”
The season may be in full swing now but for Gallacher it’s only just beginning. Revitalised and injury free, the 41-year-old is eager to get cracking. After the highs of qualifying for the 2014 Ryder Cup, outside observers probably thought Gallacher’s slump in form over the past year was down to a lingering ‘after the Lord mayor’s show’ effect. The fact he didn’t really publicise the hindering nature of his hand problem possibly only strengthened that view.
“I didn’t want to say anything,” he said. “I’m not one who chucks it and spits the dummy out. I was trying on every shot but I could only do my best with the injury I had. I was basically turning up and playing. I like practising and working hard and when you can’t do that it’s very frustrating. If you can look yourself in the mirror and say you’re trying as hard as you can then that’s all you can do. It’s hard enough playing these young boys at the best of times but when you can’t even hit balls at the range it’s even harder.”
Spring is in the air and there is a freshness and a renewed sense of purpose about Gallacher. He has travelled to China this week with a new caddie, Steven Pettit, after an “amicable” separation from Damian Moore, his bagman for the last six years. The new alliance with Pettit probably got off to an interesting start given events at Hampden on Sunday. “He’s a big Rangers fan,” said Celtic-loving Gallacher with a smile.
Having slithered down to 209th on the world rankings over the past few months, it’s very much a case of onwards and upwards for the triple European Tour champion.
“It’s like starting all over again,” he admitted. “I have my appetite back and my desire back and I can now practice again. It was great watching the Masters just to get geed up. I was playing at Augusta the last couple of years and when I’m fully fit I know I can get back there. Sitting watching that on the TV makes you want to do it more. That’s the goal, to try and get that invitation back in the post again.”
The perks and benefits that Gallacher enjoyed as top-50 player have gone for the time being and he’ll have to try to qualify for July’s Open, either through a 36-hole qualifier or through a high finish at one of the tour events that have Open spots on offer. There are plenty of ways to get in. “I don’t want to miss Troon as my wife’s family live there,” he said.
And what about the possibility of a late charge for the Ryder Cup? “Probably not but you never totally give up,” said Gallacher, who has a huge catch-up job on his hands in the points race. “The last Ryder Cup I was right in there at this time of the season. Now I know I need to win. I can’t not win if I want to get in it.”
The journey starts this week.
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