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Alfred Dunhill Links Championship: Stephen Gallacher in need of a little McIlroy muscle

Stephen Gallacher in good spirits as he addresses the media.
Stephen Gallacher in good spirits as he addresses the media.

Stephen Gallacher knows what extra he has to find if he wants to get back in the Ryder Cup from a tweeted snap of Rory McIlroy in a blonde wig and mini-kilt.

No one is quite clear why the world No 1 was pictured in such attire with a properly dressed Gallacher in the early hours of Monday morning after the triumph at Gleneagles, but even that candid snap Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson were also seen on Twitter in the same gear gives the Scot unlikely motivation.

“Rory’s a great kid and so down to earth,” said Gallacher, on arriving slightly weary for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

“We were just having a laugh during the celebrations. But if I had a body like his, I wouldn’t have a top on either.

“I’m starting to do some fitness and gym work soon, because I’m getting to the ripe old age of 40 and you start to deteriorate muscles so I need to try to build it up.

“So the next picture like that, I’ll probably have my top off too.”

Before the hangover from the celebrations had even lifted, Gallacher was formulating plans on how to get back at Hazeltine in 2016.

“There’s lots to take on,” he said.

“The speeches we had, Sir Alex Ferguson was great in how he spoke, taking some stuff from that and a few of my teammates, as well.

“There’s also scheduling. I have to learn to peak at the right times and I missed out a bit on that this year, I was running on empty by the time I got the Firestone and the US PGA.

“I might be doing some stuff with stats, I’ve never used them before, but I spoke to a few guys and Paul (McGinley) was heavily involved in them.

“That might be something, and it’s often if you can get a percentage here or there it all helps.

“You know, I’m going to work even harder to try and get back to it, whatever it takes.”

Although he only played two games and lost both, Gallacher felt a full part of the group and a text from McGinley afterwards, congratulating him on how he handled himself and how he represented his country, was testament to that, he added.

He was also proud of the way Scotland put on its first Ryder Cup in 41 years.

“I thought the setting, the course, the logistics, the infrastructure was just bang on,” he said.

“Even Andy North, one of the US vice-captains, came up to me and said: ‘Why don’t they just lock this down and have the Ryder Cup forever in Scotland because it’s just perfect here, the hotel, the setting, the course, everything about it.”

Back to some kind of normality this week, Gallacher plays where he had his first European Tour win.

“When you get the chance to play three of the best courses in the world, it’s hard not to play,” he said.

“I’m a wee bit tired but won’t over-exert myself and hopefully rest is going to be the key for me doing well this week.”