As elusive searches go, it's hard to say what's proving more difficult: the ratch in the depths for the Loch Ness monster or the quest to find a Scottish golfing superstar.
We are never done looking for a tartan-clad Rory McIlroy or Matteo Manassero and Stephen Gallacher is certainly not about to give up the hunt. Just a decent drive and a wedge from the spot where the aforementioned Nessie is supposed to roam, Gallacher was pondering the future of the domestic game at Castle Stuart on the outskirts of Inverness.
On the day Manassero, the Italian who won the recent BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, confirmed he will be heading for the Highlands to contest next month's Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, Gallacher took time to mull over the emerging talent in his homeland.
It is now 18 months since the two-time European Tour winner began his own foundation to help nurture a new generation of golfers. Jack, his 12-year-old son, recently earned a call-up to the Lothians boys' team and Gallacher Sr is keen to ensure the good work being done at grass roots reap a rich reward down the line.
"In terms of producing superstars, golf is a bit like football with Messi, Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney; they don't come around very often," said Gallacher. "There are plenty of kids playing in my foundation who can play at eight years old. It's a process you've got to start young and manage them all the way through and, who knows, with the right support we might produce the next one.
"I take my hat off to the Lothians guys for being proactive in putting young guys in, like Jack, at 12 years old. I think there were three guys under 13 in the team, even though the county they were playing against were playing their 16- and 17-year-olds. My wee man was being outdriven by 120 yards but he played this guy around his home track and only lost 2&1, so I was absolutely over the moon with that. I think you've got to start them young. You've got to get them used to playing competitively at a younger age so they are not fazed by it when they are 17 years old and they can hit the ground running."
Having captured his maiden tour win in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in 2004, Gallacher bridged a nine-year title gap with victory in this season's Dubai Desert Classic. The former Walker Cup player shared fourth place in the 2010 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and the Bathgate man would like nothing better than to be involved in the sharp end of affairs at Castle Stuart next month.
"This is probably the fifth major for the Scots," added Gallacher. "Along with the PGA, this is the one that we all want to win."
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