Public health is more important than golf – Gallacher

Stephen Gallacher has to wait to defend the Indian Open title he won in 2019

Stephen Gallacher emphasizes that "the bigger picture is more important", despite the coronavirus situation that uncertain times bring for golfers.

Five European Tour events scheduled for 2020 have been postponed due to the outbreak, including the Indian Open in March, which Gallacher won last year.

"A pandemic is serious business and people are dying from it. There will always be an Indian Open next year, so it's just a matter of making everyone well again," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

"Then you can start with the sports calendar again."

Regular European Tour events have been canceled in China, Kenya, Malyasia, Czech Republic and India, where Gallacher won his fourth title on that circuit in 2019. .

"It was not really a surprise," said Gallacher. "It is now the way of the world. These are very uncertain times and we hope that it will be solved soon.

" You clearly want to go back as a defending champion, but the bigger picture is more important than sport. Frankly, we don't really know what's going on.

"Our next event is in Valderrama in Spain at the end of April, but I don't know if that will continue either."

Gallacher predicts that the PGA Tour in America will soon be affected by precautions to prevent the spread of the outbreak, especially now that there are plans to prevent people from traveling to the US from some parts of Europe.

"I also don't see how the WGC Match Play or the Masters can go ahead," he said.

"The Masters is a worldwide event and they come from all over the world. However, it is only a field of 90-100 men.

" It wouldn't look good either play it without fans there, because the participation of fans is part of the sport and if the fans can & # 39; it does not come in, I think it should be canceled until another time. "

The 45-year-old from Linlithgow admits that he and his fellow professionals are concerned that they are vulnerable to the corona virus because of the amount of travel they take to play at events.

"We drive through major airports where you get people from everywhere," said Gallacher.

"We are on recycled airplanes and you come into contact with a lot of people, be it fans who sign autographs or things like that, so I think there is genuine concern about sporting events and big big gatherings.

"The biggest for us is in hotels, airports, and airplanes. That's what we can't avoid and where we are most likely to pick it up."