Gallacher Heads Back to
Scotland for Scottish Seniors Open

Scotland's own Bernard Gallacher heads a strong field challenging for one of Seniors golf's most prestigious titles at this year's Scottish Seniors
Open to be staged at the new Roxburghe course in the Borders on August 31st to September 2nd.

Gallacher, the former Ryder Cup captain and a man who won 13 titles on the regular European Tour, leads a strong Scottish contingent also comprising
David Huish, the only Scot ever to lift the Scottish Seniors title, current British PGA Seniors Club Pro champion John McTear, plus John Chillas, Russell Weir and Willie Milne, three leading Tartan Tour members who all turn the magical 50 years of age this month, will be making their debuts on the Seniors circuit at The Roxburghe.

"The Scottish Seniors is one of the highlights of the year as far as I'm concerned. It is a wonderful event and it could be even better if only we could get a commercial sponsor behind it," said Gallacher.

"I love the Scottish Seniors Open because it gives me the chance to come home and play in front of the fans who have supported me since I grew up in Bathgate. They are all great golf supporters and they are certainly prepared to come out in big numbers as we have seen during the last few years at Dalmahoy.

"It's also great to be going to the Roxburghe because it is one of the finest new courses to have been built in the UK over the last 10 or 15 years," added Gallacher.

"Dave Thomas is one of the world's top course architects and the Roxburghe
is a great testament to his architectural prowess.

Gallacher goes into this year's Scottish Seniors in good spirits after a series of high finishes on this year's European Seniors Tour but he has no doubt that he will have to perform at his very best if he is to prevail in front of his home fans in the Borders.

"The standard of golf on the Seniors Tour is higher than it has ever been before," Gallacher said. "There once was a time when you could get away with the odd bad shot or even the occasional bad score but nowadays you have got to play well even to make the cut.

"It's a tough school but it is becoming more and more rewarding for those who can do well."

This year's Scottish Seniors Open features the strongest Scottish contingent
ever assembled but they will be battling it out against a field that includes Denis Durnian, Seiji Ebihara and most of the other winners on this year's circuit.

Ebihara, 52, from Chiba, Japan, won twice during the opening eight events on
this season's Tour, at the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Powerscourt and the
Microlease Jersey Seniors Masters, but the man of the moment is England's
Denis Durnian who has won well over 125,000 from his first eight starts on this season's circuit.

Durnian, a former European Tour player from Manchester, won the lucrative Wales Seniors Open at Royal St David's and has also notched two second place
finishes at the Microlease Jersey Seniors and the Lawrence Batley Seniors
and a third, alongside Gallacher, at the AIB Irish Seniors.

"It's amazing what a win can do to lift your confidence." Gallacher said.

"Denis has been like a new man since he won at Royal St David's and I'd love
to emulate that success when I get to the Roxburghe."

This year's Scottish Seniors Open field also includes defending champion, Australia's Noel Ratcliffe, who closed with a fine seven under par 65 to snatch last year's title at Dalmahoy, his compatriot, Ian Stanley, who won the recent De Vere PGA Seniors Championship at Carden Park, plus Tommy Horton, Maurice Bembridge, Denis O'Sullivan, Nick Job and the evergreen Neil Coles,66, whose win in last year's Microlease Jersey Seniors Open made him the first man to win an individual professional title in six different decades.