Stephen Gallacher heaps praise on Charley Hull for choosing to play major championship
Stephen Gallacher has heaped praise on Charley Hull for her decision to play the Kraft Nabisco Championship this month, saying amateur players can follow the English teen if they really want to start their pro career soon.
Gallacher stressed that the only way to turn pro is to record a considerable number of wins in the events.
He was talking to the media following Hull’s decision to head to Mission Hills, California, to participate in the major championship.
According to the reports, the English star had already geared up to head to Nairn, Scotland, to take part in the Curtis Cup team trial when she received an offer to play the Kraft Nabisco Championship — a much more prestigious event than the Curtis Cup.
Hull decided to skip the Curtis Cup and committed to join the field at Mission Hills in a bid to prove her worth at a much bigger level.
Gallacher appreciated Hull’s move, saying that the bigger events are a good platform for young amateurs to begin their professional golf.
Recounting his own journey to pro career, Gallacher said he had to go through tough times, as he made all-out efforts to win a number of events before he turned pro.
He added that it is hard to switch to pro ranks without first winning a considerable number of victories.
“After I won the Scottish Amateur when I was 17 (at Glasgow Gailes in 1992), I thought ‘that’s it I’m going to turn pro now,” he said.
He continued, “However, my uncle Bernard (the three-time Ryder Cup captain) told me that I needed to win everything I could just to prepare me for pro golf and said there was no point making that move until I had played in the Walker Cup”.
Gallacher acknowledged, “It’s probably the best advice I was ever given”.
On the other hand, Hull’s decision instantly triggered a deluge of criticism, with LGU (Ladies Golf Union) officials disallowing her to participate at the Curtis Cup training session at Nairn, Scotland.
Charley Hull may have stunned the officials of LGU, but according to the Chief Executive of England Golf Union (EGU), John Petrie, she has done herself a great favour by choosing to play the more competitive and more prestigious event.
Tags: