John Gallacher Betters His Age, Grabs Lead At B.C. Senior Men’s Championship
By: Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
REVELSTOKE, B.C. (July 24, 2024) - John Gallacher was pleased about shooting under his age in Wednesday’s second round of the B.C. Senior Men’s Championship.
What he didn’t immediately realize is that he is leading the tournament at Revelstoke Golf Club. “Oh, really,” the 73-year-old Burnaby resident said with a smile when informed he had the lead. “Good for the old guys.”
Seventy-something guys aren’t supposed to challenge for titles like this one, but no one should be surprised. Gallacher has been a perennial contender at the B.C. Senior and is a two-time past champion.
He won his first title in 2007 at Castlegar Golf Club and added his second in 2015 at Swaneset Bay in Pitt Meadows.
“I have done a good job of just keeping it in play,” Gallacher said after he fired an even-par 72 while playing in the final group of the day. “This course has some trauma out there if you don’t hit it straight. But I didn’t get too aggressive and played to the middle of the greens and I putted quite well.”
Gallacher didn’t quite know what to expect when he arrived at Revelstoke. His game has been off and on this year and he is awaiting knee-replacement surgery this fall. “We’ll see,” Gallacher said when asked if he has a third B.C. Senior title in him. “Who knows. This is not supposed to happen playing against all these kids.”
Gallacher sits at two-over par through 36 holes and leads Calgary’s David Schultz by one shot heading into the final round. Schultz bogeyed his final two holes to shoot a two-over 74. “Played well most of the day, but every time I missed a green I couldn’t get it up and down,” he said.
Schultz, who won the 2013 Canadian Senior Men’s title and is a member of the Alberta Golf Hall of Fame, had high praise for Revelstoke “It’s a great test of golf,” he said. “You look at the scorecard and say it’s not so hard, but then you have to move it way right, you have to move it way left. It tests you and you really have to think your way around.”
No one has yet broken par this week at Revelstoke. Gallacher and Walter Kraakman of Deroche have come closest with their even-par rounds Wednesday. Steven Savage of Surrey and Mike Mannion of Victoria are tied for third at four-over par. Seven players are tied for fifth at five-over, including Kraakman and 2020 champion Norm Bradley of Kelowna.
Like so many others in the field, Bradley had high praise for the course. “It makes you a bit anxious at times,” Bradley said. “You have to hit really good golf shots and I think that anxiousness makes it tougher to play out there. There were also some very difficult pins today to get at.”
The Senior Championship is open to players aged 55 and over. A Super Senior Championship for players aged 65 and older is also being conducted at Revelstoke. Gallacher is obviously leading that competition as well. He won the Super Senior title at Bootleg Gap in Kimberley in 2021.
Click HERE for complete second round scoring...
CHIP SHOTS: A 36-hole zone competition was won by the Zone 4 team of Michael Kennedy of North Vancouver, Steven Savage of Surrey and Neil McLeod of Burnaby with a score of 10-over par.