Jim Gallagher may not be the same golfer he was decades ago when he outdueled Seve Ballesteros to win the Ryder Cup for Team USA, but the five-time PGA Champion has a not-so-secret club up his sleeve for Saturday morning’s exhibition match at the Greenwood Country Club.
“We call it the lip wedge — that’s our best club,” Gallagher laughed. “We can run our mouths pretty good.”
The event, which is open to the public starting at 10 a.m., pits Gallagher and longtime friend Robert Pannell against reigning club champion Tyler Blocker and 12-time club champion Alan Ellis. Can the old guard fend off the new kids on the block?
“I’m a washed-up pro and (Pannell) is a washed-up insurance salesman,” Gallagher joked. “I don’t hardly ever play anymore. I told them, 'If you can’t beat a bunch of grandfathers, then y’all ought to quit.' It’ll be fun.”
Young guns Blocker and Ellis will likely have the advantage from the tee box, but they expect their senior opponents to be sharp with their short game.
“If we have any advantage, it’ll be distance off the tee,” Blocker said. “But that advantage won’t take us too far because they’re good around the green. That’s where you score, so I’ll give them the advantage. We’re the underdog, in my opinion.”
And then, of course, there’s the mental edge. Blocker, who grew up watching Gallagher as a child, isn’t committing to trash-talking one of his idols just yet.
“I’m a little bit hesitant to talk trash to a guy who beat Seve Ballesteros to win the Ryder Cup,” Blocker said with a chuckle. “I’m just going to enjoy the time together and enjoy watching him play, really. I don’t care if I shoot 100, it’s just going to be fun to play alongside a guy who’s had a PGA career like that.”
Gallagher hasn’t ruled out a pre-match wager for charity, though the Greenwood resident doesn’t seem like he needs any extra motivation for this casual competition.
“I’m sure there’ll be something on the line.,” Gallagher said. “But pride is the biggest thing. The biggest prize is bragging rights for a year.”
• Contact Riley Overend at 581-7237 or roverend@gwcommonwealth.com. Follow @OverendOut on Twitter.
