Gallacher defends Dubai crown
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Stephen Gallacher successfully defended his Omega Dubai Desert Classic title thanks to a back-nine fight back on Sunday.
The Scot, who fired a 9-under-par back nine on Saturday to earn a three shot lead, stumbled early on during the final day, dropping four shots in the first nine holes.
But the players around him couldn’t captilize and a birdie on the 11th spurred the defending champion on to shoot level par and win by one shot from Argentina’s Emillliano Grillo.
Rory McIlroy, who entered the final day three shots behind, slumped to a final round of 74 to finish tied 9th.
“I never do anything easy I’m afraid,” Gallacher said after moving into the top 40 of the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. “What a day – my emotions are gone.
“I never really played the front nine that well all week. I don’t know, it was a carbon copy of yesterday apart from I holed a couple of putts for par and got a bit lucky yesterday but today I was in bushes and trees and stuff.
“I just kept saying to myself, ‘stay patient’. I played the back nine well and no one was really running away with it at the time. This event is a special one and to defend the title on the 25th anniversary is very special for me.”
Gallacher is one of many tour pros who has ‘lofted up’ with TaylorMade’s SLDR driver. Having previously played a 9° R1, he lofted up to 11° with his SLDR and finished in the Top-10 for total driving distance this week. Gallacher was one of 28 players who played the SLDR, making it the No. 1 driver model in the event.
In addition to a bag full of TaylorMade metalwoods and irons, Gallacher also wore the recently-launched adizero one, marking the second week in a row a player in adizero one footwear has won on Tour.
IN THE BAG
Driver: TaylorMade SLDR 10.5° set to 11°
Fairway: TaylorMade SLDR 15 degree & 19°
Irons: TaylorMade Rocketbladez Tour 4-PW
Wedges: TaylorMade ATV 52°
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron with SuperStroke grip
Footwear: adizero one