Rasmus Højgaard – who won his first European Tour event in Mauritius in December – is tied for the lead with Stephen Gallagher in Oman. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

RASMUS Højgaard and Stephen Gallacher both proved that age is just a number as they shared a one-shot lead heading into the weekend at the Oman Open.

The duo may be 27 years apart in age, but there was nothing to separate them at Al Mouj Golf.

They both reached nine-under after 36 holes, one shot ahead of Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Finland’s Kalle Samooja.

Danish 18-year-old Højgaard became the third youngest winner in European Tour history when he won his debut event at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open before Christmas.

And the teenager carded a 68 with an eagle, five birdies and three bogeys to move to the top of the leaderboard in the Middle East.

Gallacher – whose son and caddie Jack was born nine days before Højgaard – has four European Tour wins in his 45 years.

And the Ryder Cup winner, from Linlithgow, went one better with a bogey free 67 – his first blemish free round since the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Gallacher, who was part of Paul McGinley’s winning European team at Gleneagles, in 2014, said: “I’m delighted because it was tough from the get-go this morning.

“It was windy and it never really dropped so it was a tough morning with the first four holes straight into the wind.

“This is a great golf course and one of the best we play all year, but it’s very demanding and you’ve got to play good golf.

“If you don’t, you’ll get found out and fortunately I’m playing pretty well at the moment.

“We were all feeding off each other, certainly Kalle was on fire. He posted seven-under with a bogey and a triple.

“And Richard McEvoy is a good friend of mine. So we had a good laugh together and just enjoyed the round.

“I had been struggling a bit recently, so I changed some things up and I’ve worked hard on my game.

“Things started to turn around at the Saudi International where I started to hit some good shots and it’s amazing how it can snowball after that,” added Stephen Gallacher.

“You start to chip and putt a bit better and start to compete, and hopefully by Sunday you just want to be in with a chance coming down the stretch to win.

“It’s a good spot to be in but there’s still a lot of golf to be played over the weekend,” said the Scotsman, who helps support junior golf in the Lothians and Border regions through his Stephen Gallacher Foundation.

Gallacher’s last win came in last year’s Hero Indian Open when he survived making a snowman to clinch his first win in first years on the European Tour.

Dutchman Joost Luiten – the 2018 champion – Essex’s McEvoy and fellow Englishman Robert Rock, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi and South African Brandon Stone were three shots off the lead.

Højgaard is looking to repeat the successs of last year’s Oman winner Kurt Katiyama, who claimed the second win of his rookie season at Al Mouj – while Migliozzi also recorded two wins in 2019.

Rasmus said: “You can’t avoid bogeys out here, so I knew at some point I would drop a shot because in this wind it’s tricky to keep the ball on the greens and fairways. But I managed to bounce back with a few birdies.

“I’m putting well at the moment and I holed some long putts today which always helps.

“It’s always a bit of a bonus when you make a few of them. And that’s been the key so far.

“I don’t do much away from the course, I hang out with my fellow Danes, do some gym work. Otherwise I watch some stuff online – anything on Netflix.”

Gagli beats Coronavirus scare to chase Gallacher and Højgaard

LORENZO Gagli overcame his coronavirus scare to move into contention at five-under after the 34-year-old Italian followed an opening round of 69 with a second round of 70.

The Italian had only been cleared to tee it up on Thursday morning after his test results for coronavirus (COVID-19) came back negative.

The Omani Ministry of Health subsequently cleared both players to leave self-isolation and participate in the tournament at 12.15pm after the negative result.

Due to the exceptional circumstances, they were reinstated as an addition to the field in Muscat and teed off as a two-ball at 1.30pm.

Gagli posted four birdies in his opening round and bogeyed the 17th hole before fading light stopped play.

He resumed with a closing par on Friday morning for a round of 69 and then carded five birdies and two bogeys in second round of 70 to move to five-under par, four shots adrift of the lead.

Gagli said: “It was a strange situation but I would like to thank all the European Tour staff, including Keith Pelley, tournament director Miguel Vidaor and my friend Paolo de le Feld from player relations, as well as the Ministry of Health in Oman, who have done an unbelievable job because I’m playing the tournament now.

“It was a strange situation but I’m really happy to be out on the course and playing golf.

“After the test came back negative and I found out I could play, when I was on the course I felt really relaxed, which helped me a lot.

“Playing with Edoardo helped too because we are really good friends. Our game is very similar, so it has been easier to play over the last two days.”

Molinari also made the cut after adding a 72 to his first round 70.

Germany’s Martin Kaymer recorded the first hole-in-one in tournament history and the fifth of the 2020 Race to Dubai season when he holed a pitching wedge from 162 yards at the 13th.

•Follow the progress of Stephen Gallacher and Rasmus Højgaard in the third round through live scoring by clicking here.

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All the European Tour’s new innovations at this week’s GolfSixes point to another fun week as the event moves to Cascais in Portugal. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THE European Tour’s drive for innovation in golf will continue apace this week when GolfSixes Cascais heralds a new era on continental European soil for the fast and fun six-hole knockout format, which proved such a success in its first two editions in England.

Team Ireland’s Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan will defend their title at Oitavos Dunes when the two-day event tees off on Friday, and the field also includes Ryder Cup winners Jamie Donaldson of Wales, Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Edoardo Molinari of Italy.

With 16 teams taking part – 12 qualifying teams of European Tour players and four wildcard teams, two of them all-female – the opening day will feature a round-robin format with four groups of four, before the top two teams in each group progress to Saturday’s knockout stages.

Matches will be played in a modified Greensomes format, with all four players teeing off on every hole.

Each duo will choose their team ball for the second shot and will play alternate shots thereafter.

Innovations include:

• Players are permitted to wear shorts in competitive play for the first time in European Tour history
• Players are permitted to use measuring devices for the first time in European Tour history
• To reduce plastic waste, players will be provided with water bottles which they can fill at various stops around the course
• Drone footage will be used during tournament play for the first time
• The fourth hole will utilise a Shot Clock, with all strokes to be played within 30 seconds
• The sixth and final hole will tee off from a platform located on top of a swimming pool, surrounded by fans and VIPs and a live DJ

•For more details about the competition click here.

The Draw:

Friday June 7

Saturday June 8

Quarter-finals

The post GolfSixes Cascais won’t drone on and on – final tee is set over swimming pool appeared first on Golf North.

Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell says he still has not hit the heights so far this season that produced two wins in 2018. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

EDDIE Pepperell will defend a European Tour title for the first time in his career as he tees it up at the Betfred British Masters at Hillside Golf Club tomorrow (Thursday).

The Englishman won last year’s British Masters at Walton Heath, his second title of the 2018 season, and has arrived at Hillside in a confident mood, hoping to emulate his achievement last year.

Pepperell, who hails from Abingdon and grew up playing golf at Drayton Park, said: “It’s a shame I missed Qatar, but certainly being back in England is nice, and the first time playing Hillside, as well.

“I played nine yesterday on the back nine, and good to see it for the first time.

“Yeah, good draw, as well, playing with Thomas (Fleetwood), and Stevie (Gallacher), of course,” said the Frilford Heath member.

“I’m curious to see how I feel tomorrow. I’m expecting to feel quite relaxed, but I might not.

“It certainly felt a bit strange coming back this week having not been in Europe for ages, and just being in a completely different environment and getting used to that, when you come back here, it just feels quite strange.

“There may be a bit of getting used to that tomorrow, but I feel quite relaxed, and as always — well, I try to always focus very hard on my game, so that’s occupying my mind.

“My game certainly feels closer than it did on the Wednesday of British Masters last year. That was terrible that day.

Fleetwood to host Betfred British Masters

“The way things can change, I never like to feel too confident on a Wednesday because it doesn’t last.

“I don’t know what to expect from my game. I know there’s a bit of weakness at the moment in there somewhere.

“But I feel like around this course with the conditions, I can skirt my way around that and manage to shoot four good scores.

“This week I’m quietly confident I guess you could say, but I don’t feel like I’ve played well at all this year.

“I haven’t swung the club as well as I have last year and the year before that,” said Pepperell.

“So to have done what I’ve been able to do so far over the span of a year, I’ve made the most of it, and that’s a positive.

“So if I can find some form swinging like that, then I’m pretty confident I’ll come out this year better than last. Yeah, quiet optimism.”

Pepperell will tee it up in the first and second rounds alongside this year’s tournament host Tommy Fleetwood.

The 28-year-old, who grew up in Southport, which will host the 2019 British Betfred Maseters, began his week with victory in the first Hero Challenge of the season at Princes Dock in Liverpool on Tuesday night.

The pair will be joined by Scotland’s 2019 Hero Indian Open winner Stephen Gallacher.

Lee Westwood set for his 18th start

MAKING his 18th appearance in the British Masters is former World No. 1 Lee Westwood, who hosted the tournament at Close House, in 2017.

After a four-year absence from the winner’s circle, Westwood won his 24^th European Tour title at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, in November.

The Nottinghamshire ace, who now lives in Newcastle arrives at Hillside hoping to add a second British Masters crown to his trophy cabinet.

The “Worksop Wonder” won the event in 2007 at The Belfry, and the 46-year-old has previous form at Hillside, winning The Pines Trophy at the Lancashire links, as an amateur in 1990.

Westwood said: “I’m coming back to somewhere that I’ve played well in the past and a golf course that I enjoy playing and a tournament I enjoy playing.

“So it’s always nice to play in England in front of the English and British fans,” said the veteran of 10 Ryder Cups.

“There’s been some great winners here in the past. Seve is a past winner and Greg Norman a past winner, so two heroes of mine growing up, and players I’ve wanted to emulate.

“I’ve been a host a couple years ago. I saw the other side of it, how a tournament is run and what goes into it.

“I’ve got a great appreciation for what goes into running the British Masters and others, and now I get to play in the British Masters,” added Westwood.

“It’s always been played on some great venues and always attracts a great field and great fans that really seem to enjoy coming to this tournament and supporting it.”

•For live scoring from the first round of the Betfred British Masters click here.

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Scot Stephen Gallacher claimed his first win in five years at the age of 44 at the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

STEPHEN Gallacher birdied three of his last four holes to produce a stunning comeback and win his first European Tour title in five years at the Hero Indian Open.

The Scot had shared the first round lead but a second round 74 saw him slip back and his chances looked doomed when he made a quadruple bogey eight on the seventh hole on Sunday.

The lead kept moving backwards on a windy day at DLF Golf and Country Club, but as he stood on the 15th tee, Gallacher still looked an outside bet facing one of the toughest closing stretches on the Race to Dubai because of that snowman on the seventh.

The 2014 Ryder Cup star knows a thing or two about performing under pressure, however.

And he took advantage of the par five before hitting stunning approaches into the 17th and last to claim his first win since the second of back to back Omega Dubai Desert Classic titles in 2014.

On Mother’s Day back in his native Scotland, it was a father and son show in New Delhi, with son Jack caddying for Gallacher this season in what is likely to be a permanent move for the duo.

A closing 71 moved the 44-year-old to nine-under and gave him a one-shot win over Japan’s Masahiro Kawamura, with Spaniard Jorge Campillo a further shot back.

A delighted Gallacher said: “Today the wind was swirling and the course was playing really tough.

“I was three behind the lead at the start of the day and got off to quite a solid start and then I hit a quadruple-bogey on hole seven. I was pretty calm at that point of time, I stood on the eighth tee and saw I was only five shots behind.

“I told myself to stick to the game and you never know what can happen. Especially with how hard it was playing and I came back three-under in the last four holes.

“I thought, ‘just hang in there’. When I birdied 15 I saw that Julian Suri had come back and then when I got to the 16th green I was tied for the lead. I just tried to finish as strong as I could, and I did that.

“Thankfully it was enough. I am 45 this year so I am really proud of what I did out here today. It changes my schedule and I can play a bit less and it was great to win with my son Jack on the bag.

“He has caddied for me 20 events already. It has been a great day. It was great to have him on the bag and Mother’s Day as well makes it even more special.”

Masahiro Kawamura, who has one win to his name on the Asian Tour back in 2013, admitted feeling nervous coming down the stretch. He said: “The round was very good especially in such tough conditions.

“I wasn’t playing very well in the front nine and was struggling on a lot of the holes and I had some missed shots, but the back nine I played very well.

“The course was tough today, but I managed to come back.

“Coming into the last two holes and seeing my name on the leaderboad, I was really nervous,” said the Asian Tour winner, who claimed the 11^th card at the European Tour School, in November, at Spain’s Lumine GC.

Kawamura added: “I knew how important the final hole was and I hit a good shot but was just unlucky.

“Last year I finished second three times on the Japan Tour, lost by one shot twice and once in a play-off. Now I finished second by one shot this time again.”

American Julian Suri had led by three after 12 holes but produced a quadruple bogey of his own on the treacherous 14th to slip back, and he finished alongside South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout at six-under.

Bezuidenhout made six birdies and two bogeys in a 68 that handed him a third top 10 in four events and he finished three shots off the lead, one ahead of fellow South Africans George Coetzee and Erik van Rooyen, Spaniard Nacho Elvira and Hertfordshire’s Callum Shinkwin.

Finn Kalle Samooja made the third hole-in-one of the week with a pitching wedge from 139 yards on the 12th for the eighth ace of the season.

The post Gallacher survives snowman to become Indian Open Hero appeared first on Golf North.

New Yorker Julian Suri who produced a superb chip on the par five 18th to tie Stephen Gallacher at five-under in the Hero Indian Open. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SCOTLAND’S Stephen Gallacher and Julian Suri fired opening rounds of 67 to take a share of the first round lead at the Hero Indian Open.

Gallacher has often flourished on tough courses throughout his career, and showed he had the measure of DLF Golf and Country Club last season as he recorded a top 10 finish in New Delhi.

Fast forward 12 months and a sensational putt from off the green at the last handed the Scot a closing eagle and a one shot advantage at five-under.

It looked for a long time like he would not be caught in the afternoon but American Suri – who missed the cut in his only appearance here last season – produced some magic of his own on the 18^th.

He played a sublime bunker shot to set up a closing birdie and join Gallacher at the summit.

South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Swede Robert Karlsson, Spaniard Pablo Larrazábal and Thai Prom Meesawat were the nearest challengers.

Last week’s winner in Malaysia, Scott Hend, and local hero Shubhankar Sharma are in a nine-man group two shots off the lead.

Stephen Gallacher, a member of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles, in 2014, said: “It was a perfect morning.

“Cool to start with and then it heated up later on in the round, and not too much wind, so it was perfect today.

“I think you have to get it in play off the tee, there is just so much trouble.

“I think if you get the tee shot in place you can hit a couple of nice iron shots and take advantage of the par fours that are quite short, drive a couple, and knock it onto the par fives.

“It is quite a strategic course. I don’t think you need to be the longest player on the tour to play it, I think you’ve just got to plot your way around it.

“I have started poorly to be honest, I’ve had a sort of big miss in the bag that has been costing me triples and doubles, so hopefully, I knew I was close last week, I played lovely but just didn’t get anything out of it.

“But coming back to a place where I’ve played well hopefully I can draw on some inspiration from last year.”

Suri, who made his maiden breakthrough at last year’s Made in Denmark tournament, said: “It was a good day.

“My caddie Dermot, he keeps encouraging me and calls me the Greatest Showman sometimes after the movie, so I had to give him a little show there.

“I got the all clear about four or five weeks ago from the doc and last week in Malaysia was my first event,” said the 27-year-old who had surgery on a hernia in January.

“With the heat there and all the conditions, the body felt great and the swing felt good too.

“It’s obviously still a work in progress but to shoot a score like this, on a course like this, is a good sign going forward.

“It’s a great test. It’s very dramatic and provokes the imagination a little bit so I enjoy it,” said the New Yorker, whose exquisite chip on the last set up a simple birdie four to tie the leader.

Aaron Rai’s dream to win Hero Indian Open

Spaniard Larrazabal, who finished fourth last year four shots behind Hertfordshire’s Matt Wallace, who beat Middlesex’s Andrew “Beef ”Johnston in a play-off, said: “The conditions were perfect and this is a great golf course.

“If you hit alright from the tee, or out it in the short grass then it’s not that long, and the greens as good as they are you can hole putts.

“Very happy starting last year with five-under, this year four-under, hopefully I can go four better than last year.

“I like great golf course and I love to putt on good greens, and these are probably the best of the season with Abu Dhabi, so I just try to keep working.

“I didn’t play my best today from the tee, but I allowed myself to keep the ball alive and not put myself into too much trouble and trying to make birdies when I can.

Robert Karlsson, who was crowned European No. 1 back in 2008 – but has suffered a series of injuries since – said: “This is one of the most brutal golf courses I have ever played.

It’s fantastic because you get found out when you are doing good and when you are not doing so good.

“Any slight miss and it’s trouble. It is a fabulous week to be here and definitely one of the best courses we play condition wise that is going to test where you are.”

Forty-nine-year-old Karlsson, playing in his 613 European Tour event, lit up his round with eagles at the par four seventh and the par five eight.

The Swede, who has won 11 times in his career and appeared in two Ryder Cups, said of his two on the sixth: “It was one of those things, I just got this feeling over the wedge.

“I saw Dean Burmester hit it just right of the flag, and thought this is the perfect distance for me, and when I was over the ball I thought ‘this could go in’ and when it when in I was like ‘yep’.

“So that happens sometimes. It’s not easy but it was just one of those shots.

“Eight I played really well, hit a driver and six-iron to the back, and chipped it in from probably 25 feet, so that was great.

“I don’t think I have ever done two eagles in a row, I have done two in a round but not two back-to-back so that’s pretty cool.”

There was still one group left out on the course so the first round will be completed early on Friday morning.

•For live scoring from the second round of the Hero Indian Open, click here.

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