The rookie’s uncle, Bernard, had plenty of good days himself, captaining Europe on three occasions, but three days in Turin ultimately sealed his fate.
Challenged with finishing in the top two at the Italian Open on Sunday to gain an automatic berth, Gallacher produced a final round of 65 to end up one shot and one place short of his target. It was enough to impress his peers. Lee Westwood, the last man into the team, said: “Steve’s performance last week was one of the best I’ve ever seen with Ryder Cup qualification on the line. I thought it was spectacular.”
Rory McIlroy, top of the pile and Europe’s star turn, said Gallacher should have been picked regardless. Paul McGinley, the Europe captain, said it had made his selection a “relatively easy decision”.
McGinley is sensible enough to have concerns about picking rookies in such a high-pressure and unique event, but he is also unafraid to go with his instincts. “Of course we mentioned the fact that he was a home boy and what it would do to galvanise the crowd,” he said of a local hero-in-waiting. “That was important but it was a small percentile of our decision-making.
“The biggest thing was Stevie stepping up to the plate. He’s proved to me he can handle Gleneagles.”
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Gallacher lives 35 miles from Gleneagles and a bit of post-referendum patriotism will fuel the raucous atmosphere McGinley wants. Impressive form around the PGA Centenary course and his family tree mean he has the pedigree. “That’s brilliant wee man,” he said when McGinley imparted the news. “It’s massive for me and my family.”