Gallacher injury doubt for PGA

A seriously worried Stephen Gallacher became another injury doubt for next week’s US PGA championship today when he followed Colin Montgomerie and David Howell out of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Gallacher, third in Germany two weeks ago, quit after nine holes of his second round with a recurrence of the back trouble which has plagued his career.

“In hindsight maybe I should have missed this week, but because it’s a home event I decided to play,” said the 30-year-old, who was 10 over par when he decided not to continue.

Now the nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher will undergo intensive treatment in a bid to be fit for the start of the final major of the season next Thursday.

While he departed England’s Mark Foster and Steve Webster and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy battled for the lead.

Foster, two ahead after his opening 68, added a 70, but Italian Open champion Webster shot 67 to be six under as well and European tour rookie Bourdy was also six under with three to play.

Gallacher’s withdrawal came as Montgomerie saw a hand specialist in London after hurting three fingers in yesterday’s first round and Howell continued to battle the torn abdominal muscle he suffered at the US Open in June.

Gallacher has long-term concerns as well as the immediate worry of whether he will recover in time for Baltusrol.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to play, but I need to get to the bottom of this,” he said. “I want to be playing when I’m 50 and 60. I don’t want to be doing a desk job when I’m 35.

“Two joints are really inflamed and it affects the nerves in my lower back. It feels brilliant after I see my chiropractor, but then it becomes sore all the time – standing, walking, sitting.”

An eight-hour flight on Monday is not an appealing prospect the way he feels.

Gallacher missed the whole of the 1998 season with the problem. “I went three months without picking up a club. It’s the worst time of your life and I don’t want that again.

“I played only one practice round for the (British) Open last month and in Germany didn’t hit a ball until the Friday.”

The first day’s play was washed out there, but it meant Gallacher then had to play twice in one day and he finished it feeling “knackered.” He added: “I’ve been seeing the chiropractor more than my wife, but I really need to build my back up.

“It’s the nature of the game. The back’s meant to turn and tilt one at a time. We turn in a tilted position.”

Gallacher recently spoke with former Scotland footballer John Collins, who told him his condition had improved with losing some weight and building up stomach muscles.

Bourdy needed to birdie the long ninth to finish the day one ahead of Foster and Webster, but instead he ran up a bogey six and had to settle for a 69 and five under aggregate.

Having been three clear earlier it was a disappointing outcome for the 23-year-old, but at 121st in the Order of Merit – Foster is 122nd – a big weekend still loomed.

And just to be around for the last two rounds represented a step in the right direction for Ryder Cup ace Paul Casey, who had missed his last six cuts. A 73 put Casey level par.