Gallacher Wins! Rory, Tiger Get All The Attention

Maybe because I got to meet Stephen Gallacher last year at The Open and it was so refreshing to talk to pro in touch with the game, I was excited to see the Scot win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic again. This sets Gallacher up for a likely run toward the club-of-all-clubs, world top 50 status, with exemptions to many significant events.

There is also the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, where the 39-year-old has played well in the Johnny Walker and lives just 35 miles away. And the desperation to see a Scot make the team. All covered in the above-linked Sky Sports story. (The European Tour has the numbers on his win.)

As you'd expect though, most of the talk was about Rory's final round struggles with the driver according to Rex Hoggard and putter according to Rory. There was this oddity too, reported on by Matt Smith Reuters:

"I didn't get a couple of putts to go. I was struggling to read them for some reason, so I got (caddy) JP (Fitzgerald) to read them for me on the back nine and holed a couple more.

"When the greens get this firm they change color a little bit and it was very hard to see. Everything I read was straight even though it wasn't - I just couldn't see any movement at all."

And Tiger's mediocre play (by his lofty standards) also warranted much attention, reported on by Sky with Tiger's take:

"My iron game was not as sharp as I would have liked but then I also had seven lip outs today, so that's quite a few lip outs.

"I'm definitely going to work on my putting. My light putting needs to be better than it has been. I'm hitting my lines, I just don't have the speed right.

"And after making that quick easy fix on my grip the other day, from then on I drove it great.

"But it's been hard chipping off this rye grass as I have been so used to chipping out of Bermuda and that needs a little different technique."

Tiger also continues to be the life of the party on the course, a far cry from his old Hoganesque snarling ways:

But whatever Woods thought about his week's work, he certainly impressed his playing partner on Sunday Pablo Larrazabal.

The Spaniard, who also closed with a 71, tweeted: "I had a nice day out there. I really enjoyed playing with Tiger Woods. He is a better guy than a golfer."