Gallacher and Stenson win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Challenge Match
Defending champion Stephen Gallacher couldn’t have asked for a better start to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic week when he teamed up with Henrik Stenson to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic Challenge Match at Emirates Golf Club on Tuesday. Playing two-man scramble on the back nine of Majlis course, the pair carded eight-under to match the score of the Rory McIlroy-Sergio Garcia team, but settled the issue in the ensuing playoff on the 18th.
The pairing of Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick finished third on six-under, two ahead of the teams of Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell.
The Challenge Match has traditionally been a greensomes affair on the par-3 course at Emirates Golf Club, but after the success of the 2014 “Champions’ Challenge”, which saw every past champion compete for a share of the $600,000 purse, the 2015 edition will once again take place on the premier golf course in the region, albeit only over the back-9.
Gallacher is hoping to extend his remarkable win-win-second record in the last three tournaments when the main competition begins on Thursday, but the Scot played down all the hype swirling around his possible three-in-a-row feat.
“I’m going to approach it the same as last year, not try to put too much pressure on myself and just go ahead and enjoy it, Hopefully, come Sunday, I’m in position to give it a good go.
“My plan is to try and not put myself under any pressure. I mean, I’d love to make it three in a row, don’t get me wrong. To win last year on the 25th anniversary was special, with the field and with the history behind it.
“I took a lot of confidence from that and it set up the best year of my career in many ways. I’m hoping to just keep building on it. It’s a course I play well, so I’m hoping to just not think too much about it and just get on and play golf really.”
Only five players in European Tour history have lifted the same title on three successive occasions – Ian Woosnam (1990-92 Monte Carlo Open), Sir Nick Faldo (1991-93 Irish Open), Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000 PGA Championship), Tiger Woods (1999-01, 2005-07 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational and 2005-07 WGC – Cadillac Championship) and Ernie Els (2002-04 Heineken Classic).
Pic caption:Stephen Gallcher and Henrik Stenson with Mohamed Juma Buamaim, vice chairman and CEO of golf in DUBAi, and Henri Burrus, areas sales manager of Omega, at Emirates Golf Club
