Why It Is Time To Start Praising Scotland's Golfers

There are five Scottish golfers currently residing in the top 100 of the World Golf Rankings. I am willing to bet that not many of you would have been able to tell me that.

Stephen Gallacher's long awaited second European Tour victory at the Dubai Desert Classic on Sunday was merely the latest in a long list of triumphs for Scottish golfers over the last two years.

For too long, Colin Montgomerie held the baton as Scotland's only top golfer in winning eight European Tour Order of Merit titles between 1993-2005, including seven in a row. 'Monty' also consistently challenged at the Majors in those two decades, finishing second on five occasions.

Outwith Paul Lawrie's stunning victory at The Open in 1999, Scottish golf relied on Montgomerie to shine the brand image in a positive light, which to his credit, Montgomerie managed on a regular basis in Major championships and Ryder Cups.

However, in recent years new names have came to the fore and it is about time they start getting the praise they deserve. Gallacher's win in Dubai was spectacular; he shot a round of 63 to open and went one better on the Saturday.

Despite starting badly in his final round, the nephew of the legendary Bernard Gallacher held his nerves brilliantly, especially when delivering a super shot at the 9th hole through a group of trees. In my 15 years of watching golf, I can honestly say I have not seen many better strikers of a ball than Gallacher and it is quite astonishing he had to wait almost nine years to pick up a second European Title after winning at St Andrews in 2004.

Stephen Gallacher: Red-hot in Dubai

The undoubted great story of Scottish golf in 2012 was the renaissance of Open champion Paul Lawrie. After winning for the first time in nine years in 2011 in Andalucia, Lawrie rolled back the years in 2012. He won in Qatar and at the Johnnie Walker Championship at Glenegales and had five other top tens during the year which enabled him to finish in the Top Ten of the Tour's Order of Merit for the first time in a decade. And he arguably produced the greatest performance by any European player on Ryder Cup singles day, when he destroyed Brandt Snedeker 5+3.

It might only be February, but Gallacher is not the only Scotsman to win on the European Tour this season. Scott Jamieson collected the first title of 2013 when winning the Nelson Mandela Championship in South Africa. He then finished in the top three in his next two events, to rise up the rankings to his current position of 68th.

Just ahead of both Jamieson and Gallacher in 59th place in the World Rankings, is Richie Ramsay, who is another Scotsman who can certainly be bracketed under the tag "He has shown a lot of promise, but never delivered."

Last year Ramsay finally did deliver when he won the Omega European Masters in September, and then followed that up with a second place finish in Holland a week later. Still only 29, Ramsay has the potential to win far more European Tour titles and I expect his trophy cabinet to be added to later this year.

I haven't even mentioned Martin Laird, who has already won twice on the PGA Tour in his career as well as finishing second at the Players Championship last year. He is in the midst of a slump right now and sits at 86th in the World Rankings, but with his long game he can surely rise to the top again.

With three out of the next four Open Championships being held in Scotland and the Ryder Cup taking place at Gleneagles in 2014, it would be fantastic if we could see Scotland's golfers challenging for golf's oldest Major. 

And what price for more than one Scotsman making the European Ryder Cup team at Gleneagles? That would be something truly special.

We'll have to wait and see if the new talent can deliver but I am just glad we have more options than Colin Montgomerie nowadays to cheer on.