Stephen Gallacher reinstated to DP World Tour after “admin blunder”

Stephen Gallacher has been reinstated to the DP World Tour with immediate effect after a bizarre “administrative blunder” sidelined the Scot for the first six months of the 2023 campaign.

The news was revealed today by four-time winner Gallacher’s management company Bounce.

“Following the end of last season’s campaign, Stephen was told that he would not keep his card through the Career Money list category (category 11),” said a Bounce spokesperson.

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“However, the DP World Tour announced today that this was a mistake, and issued a full and unreserved apology to Stephen, and confirmed his return to the 2023 DP World Tour with immediate effect.”

I'LL BE BACK….🖐🏼

It's an immediate and dramatic return to @DPWorldTour front line for @stevieggolf 🤺

His category has been elevated on the back of administrative error 🎟

We go again….👊🏽

Full story 👀👇🏽https://t.co/3u8lW5RMUR

⛳️🏌🏼‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿😎

— Bounce (@bouncespmgt) May 10, 2023

The 2014 Ryder Cup winner will also receive a special membership exemption into 2024 to reflect the opportunities he has missed out on so far in 2023.

Gallacher has played a limited schedule over the past six months. He has been limited to a handful of DP World Tour appearances topped up by appearances on the Challenge Tour.

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“I am really delighted at today’s news, and I am very pleased how the DP World Tour has handled the matter once they realised that the mistake had been made,” said Gallacher.

“The past six months have been hard, and sitting on the sidelines watching tour events is no substitute from playing in them.

“I am as competitive now as I have always been, and from Qualifying School, to last minute DP World Tour invitations, through to Challenge Tour events, my ambition and desire to get back playing and winning has never wavered.”

“I am still hugely motivated and I can now plan my schedule for the rest of this campaign to try to secure my card back based purely on my results on the course.”

Gallacher is in the field for this week’s Soudal Open in Belgium which gets under way tomorrow.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor