Venturing throughout the US is part of being in the World’s 50 and Stephen Gallacher has tried to embrace it, but there’s no doubt where his heart lies.
The Scot admits it’s “brilliant” to be back on European soil for this week’s BMW PGA Championship, knowing he’ll see his family for the next few weeks, and that he can be in his own bed much of the time.
“Just getting home Sunday night for the next three weeks will be magic,” he said. “You don’t feel you are actually playing that many events in a row when you can get here on a Tuesday and two nights’ sleep in your own kip.
“It’s almost refreshing being able to play three weeks in a row yet still spend some time at home. I think that’s the key to being refreshed.”
Making the cut in the Players Championship to end a long spell on the road was some encouragement, but the greatest is this stretch on his home tour on courses he feels comfortable.
“The PGA Tour is great but you end up killing time and boredom can be the biggest factor when you are away from home. But I took a lot of positives from Sawgrass.
“There’s a massive run of events coming up in Europe now and it will be great to play five links or links-type courses here in the next month or two.
“You want to hit form now and carry it on for the Ryder Cup qualification race starting.
“I hadn’t been driving it great but it’s back again and normally my strength, so I can hopefully start putting some scores on the board.”
Gallacher has done well at Wentworth with the pressure on, his fourth in 2010 coming with his Tour playing rights on the line and fifth last year when he was accumulating Ryder Cup points.
“You have to be on your game to do well round here,” he continued. “If you are struggling it shows up a lot. If you are driving it well in particular you have a chance of scoring well; if not, you’ll be behind the eight ball.”
However, like most Stevie knows that one man present at Wentworth this week is setting the bar in world golf right now.
“Rory’s the best in the world by miles at the moment. When he drives it as well as he did in America last week he just annihilates everyone.
“But we’ve all beat him in tournaments before and that’s what we will be trying to do here.”