Stephen Gallacher has made a promising start to his bid to earn his place in the European Ryder Cup team.
A top two finish in this week’s Italian Open will be enough for the 39-year-old to leapfrog Graeme McDowell and secure the final automatic spot on Paul McGinley’s team for next month’s Ryder Cup match at Gleneagles.
Gallacher has never played the Circolo Golf Torino course before but the Scot got off to a flying start, birdieing two of his opening three holes to move into the top ten on the leaderboard.
However a dropped shot at the 16th – Gallacher’s seventh hole – meant he dropped back to one under par for the day.
Before his round, Gallacher appeared to be relishing the challenge of attempting to land the final automatic spot in McGinley’s team.
He said: “The most difficult thing for me this week is trying to focus just on the golf.
“If I play well and finish in the top two then I am a Ryder Cup player and that is something that I have dreamed about my whole life.
“It’s quite funny that everyone’s asking if am nervous about the week ahead but the best place for me to be at the moment is on the golf course.
“That is where I can think about my next shot and my processes and block the other stuff out. It is when you come off the course that you just cannot escape it.
“Everyone wants to ask about The Ryder Cup, or talk to you about it or just wish you all the best which is all great but, as I said, it makes it very difficult to get it out of your mind which is what a part of you wants to do.
“But the whole thing is really exciting for me – that is the main feeling I have.”
Gallacher’s Ryder Cup hopes would not be over if he fails to finish in the top two in Italy. McGinley will make three wildcard picks to join the nine automatic qualifiers on Tuesday.
Follow Stephen Gallacher’s progress at the Italian Open here.