Stephen Gallacher is glad he took Phil Mickelson’s putting advice

Words of wisdom from golfing great helped Stephen secure second Dubai Desert Classic title.

It was fantastic viewing in the Gallacher household last Sunday.

We were thrilled to watch my nephew Stephen retain his Dubai Desert Classic title.

Holding his own alongside Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in the opening two rounds, before coming out on top in the final group with Rory, made for a special week.

The victory should do wonders for his confidence. It must be stored away to remind himself what he can do at his very best.

Stephen has spent a lot of time in Dubai over the years at the Emirates Course, gearing up for the season.

He’s often taken the family over just after Christmas to practice and escape the bad weather at home. And that knowledge paid dividends again last Sunday.

What struck me most was how good Stephen looked on the greens. When you feel you can hole a putt, it does wonders for your game.

The difference in putting came from a conversation with Open Champion Phil Mickelson last summer, when they played together in the final round of the US PGA.

Stephen played well, but struggled on the greens and asked Phil for any tips. Phil gave him the number for renowned putting guru, Dave Stockton.

So he flew to America for a few days late last year to work with Dave, and this new approach has given him confidence. The short stick has always held Stephen back. His ball striking is good but he’s never been a red-hot putter.

He had a fantastic amateur career and it seems he’s taken a long time to reach the top as a pro. But he struggled with a back problem and then more seriously with an illness called sarcoidosis.

It makes you tired and causes aches and pains and took a while to diagnose. Stephen’s golf suffered and he even lost his Tour card. Thankfully, that’s now under control and he’s found his best form at the age of 39.

To have any chance of reaching the Ryder Cup, it was essential to win a tournament early in the season, and Stephen’s done that. Now for the first time, he’ll be in all the Majors and the WGC events this year.

Doing well in these big-money tournaments is crucial. If you win one, that’s $1 million and a virtual guaranteed place in Paul McGinley’s team.

But the trick is not to look too far ahead. Be consistent, keep making cuts and hope for a few high finishes, and hopefully that’ll be enough for an automatic spot.

To round off an exciting week, Stephen will help make the draw for the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on Sunday following the Dundee United v St Mirren tie!