Second career beckons for former Ryder Cup

captain as popularity of Seniors Tour escalates

Scot Bernard Gallacher, who celebrates his fiftieth birthday today, is determined that his second career on the European Senior Tour will be as successful as he was on the regular Tour.

The former captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team has been working out all winter and running miles with his pet dog to prepare for the challenges ahead.

The US equivalent is one of sport's phenomenons and Hale Irwin, the leading money-winner last year, earned more than David Duval on the US PGA Tour.

Gallacher is optimistic that within a few years Europe will expand to such an extent that it will rival the one across the Pond. Statistics certainly show an encouraging trend, for here the seniors circuit has grown at the same rate over the last seven years as the one in America did at the outset.

''We will get there. Europe will take off with a senior tournament in each country,'' maintained Gallacher. ''It is just that some countries are not ready for us yet. It may take two or three years before we have got 30 events and play for #500,000 every week, but that day is not far away.

''When Sam Torrance, Seve Ballesteros, Mark James, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, and Sandy Lyle come of age, that will help the Seniors grow into a major tour, just like Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Irwin helped in America.''

While Gallacher has no aspirations to campaign regularly in America, already he has been invited to compete in the US PGA Senior Championship.

Because of improvements to equipment and balls, Gallacher has lost no length since his heyday.

However, he added: ''I know my limitations - I'll never be the player I once was.

''This is my chance at a second career.''

Tommy Horton, the reigning European No.1, has severed his affiliation at Royal Jersey to concentrate on defending his title and meeting the challenge from Gallacher.

Nicklaus, meanwhile, could return an improved player if his recovery from having a hip replacement continues as expected.

The world's greatest-ever golfer, 59, now possesses a new high-tech, porcelain hip after surgery, but an orthopedic surgeon at Aberdeen's Royal Infirmary explained: ''The likelihood is that Nicklaus will be able to return to the standard he played at one or even two years before this operation. He will have more mobility and certainly no pain when he resumes playing.''

That will be in approximately three months, when his rehabilitation programme is completed. Nicklaus, who is aiming to make his competitive comeback in his own Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, conceded: ''I don't have any illusions at my age of coming back to compete with Tiger Woods and David Duval. I have been playing on one leg essentially for years.''

His main ambition is to be fit enough to do himself justice next year in the millennium Open Championship at St Andrews, where he won two of his 18 majors, the US Open at Pebble Beach and the US PGA Cham-pionship, which will be hosted at the Valhalla course which he designed at Louisville, Kentucky.

qFollowing the arrest of a drunken fan carrying a loaded gun at the Phoenix Open, Tiger Woods will not return there until security is improved, his agent has revealed.

Brian K Murphy, 40, who was discovered with the firearm in a back pack after heckling Woods, has been charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct.

''Metal detectors may be useful when you have so many people doing the things they do out there with all the alcohol consumption,'' insisted the world's No.1. ''They don't come to watch golf. They come to enjoy themselves.''

Tournament officials said that in future signs would be prominently displayed warning against guns being taken to the event.

The alarming incident has sent a chill of fear through golf in the US and Phoenix resident Phil Mickelson said: ''Ever since Monica Seles was stabbed at a tennis tournament, this sort of thing has been on the back of everyone's mind. But a gun is so different from pulling a knife.''

qThe cancellation of the final round of the Pebble Beach Pro-am may well have saved Tiger Woods' position at the top of the world rankings.

David Duval, a winner twice already this year, and with a round of 59 under his belt, could have overtaken Woods with a top-five finish, but bad weather killed off his bid and he remains in second place.

Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke's failure to make the cut in the Malaysian Open did not adversely affect their rankings. Westwood stays sixth and Clarke moves up a place, to sixteenth.

Winner Gerry Norquist remains outside the world's top 250 in 257th place.

Leading positions in the world golf rankings:

1, T Woods (USA) 11.39 points; 2, D Duval (USA) 11.25; 3, M O'Meara (USA) 9.7; 4, D Love (USA) 9.68; 5, E Els (South Africa) 8.85; 6, L Westwood (England) 8.7; 7, C Montgomerie (Scotland) 8.7; 8, N Price (Zimbabwe) 8.57; 9, V Singh (Fiji) 8.49; 10, J Leonard (USA) 7.51

11, J Furyk (USA) 7.37; 12, P Mickelson (USA) 7.24; 13, F Couples (USA) 6.88; 14, M Ozaki (Japan) 6.7; 15, S Elkington (Australia) 5.9; 16, D Clarke (N Ireland) 5.75; 17, P Stewart (USA) 5.56; 18, J Parnevik (Sweden) 5.46; 19, B Watts (USA) 5.12; 20, T Lehman (USA) 5.06.

Other leading Europeans:

27, B Langer (Germany) 4.56; 30, J M Olazabal (Spain) 4.28; 45, T Bjorn (Denmark) 3.15; 46, I Woosnam (Wales) 3.12; 54, P Sjoland (Sweden) 2.8; 57, M A Jimenez (Spain) 2.74; 65, N Faldo (England) 2.49.

qSeve Ballesteros will call on Roberto Vicenzo to introduce him at his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame at St Augustine, Florida, next month.

The Spaniard, who first met Vicenzo at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1976, said: ''He treated me with the same fondness as a father would treat his son. He also gave me advice which proved useful later in my career.''

Argentinian Vicenzo became a Hall-of-Famer 10 years ago after winning more than 200 tournaments throughout the world.

qAustralian Karrie Webb's first victory on the LPGA this year was aided by a new item of equipment - a mouthpiece. The apparatus was prescribed to deal with a condition in her jaw which never developed properly during childhood.

The mouthpiece, which she must wear constantly, has cured the complaint with immediate results.

qJim Ritts, who in his three years as LPGA commissioner doubled TV exposure and increased prize money from $24m to $33m, has resigned his post to take up a position with an internet company. He will be replaced by lawyer Ty Votaw.

qQuote of the week: US Senior Tour player Bob Duval on his son David's record-equalling 59 to win the Phoenix Open: ''I taught him to play golf, but certainly not the way he's playing now.''