It’s awe in a day’s work

Richie won’t be fazed by rubbing shoulders with world’s best as he is delighted to be back in big time

RICHIE RAMSAY is seeing stars but it never leaves him dazed.

To some it might be intimidating to stand on a putting green flanked by Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, while on the range a posse of security men steer Dustin Johnson towards his practice berth.

But not for a down-to-earth loon from Aberdeen who has already lived more than a few boyhood dreams on the biggest stages in golf.

After all it was 10 years ago this week he teed it up with Tiger Woods at Oakmont, having already partnered Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott at the Masters – thanks to his status as US Amateur champion.

The gap between then and this, his next appearance at the US Open, has been longer than Ramsay would have liked. But he said: “It’s nice to be out among the world’s best players again.

“Stepping on the putting green and there’s Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy, that’s something to inspire rather than intimidate.

“When it’s time to play I’m not the type to stand on the first tee and worry about what they do, I don’t really care. But it’s nice to be there among these guys because it gets you more focused on what you need to do.

“Obviously being away for so long you probably enjoy it a little bit more because this doesn’t happen every year. It’s an occasion you’ve got to savour a bit more.”

Clearly the 34-year-old likes the company he’s keeping – and it’s reassuring to know some of the highprofile guys he’s rubbing shoulders with are still happy to acknowledge his presence.

A guy like Rory McIlroy, for example, his former Walker Cup team-mate. Ramsay added: “If I see Rory around I’ll say hi to him and being the nice guy he is he’ll still say hi back. But obviously he’s operating in a different world now.

“But a lot of the guys I’ve played with at Majors will stop and chat away. I played with Adam Scott at the Masters 10 years ago and Steve Williams formerly Tiger Woods’s caddie) knows my caddie so they came over to say hello.

“That’s nice knowing there are guys who stay down to earth. Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer are the two who stand out most in that respect to me.

“You can be great on the course but it’s hard to match that off the course because of the demands on their time but I think they handle it really well.

“So it’s good to be here and just be part of it. But nobody gets any trophies just for participating. I’m a big believer that you’ve got to work hard for success and you earn your place with a lot of practice and the right work ethic.”

Patience will be another quality he’ll need at a mentally and physically draining tournament notorious for a demanding set-up and six-hour rounds. But again Ramsay has a positive way of looking at it.

He said: “It does take a long time to go round and you’ve just got to bide your time, take the hit and accept that’s the way it’s going to be.

“I try to fall out of the focus between shots by speaking to my caddie. Then when the time comes to hit you get back in focus.

“It’s important to be able to do that because if you tried to stay in the zone for six hours solid your head would explode. You’ve got to be able to come in and out of it, try to be as relaxed as you can off the shots and when it’s time to hit give it everything.

“Fortunately Jules, who caddies for me, is quite a talkative and interesting guy. We talk about everything from Brexit to Ryder Cups and stories about the guys he’s caddied for over the years.

“He controls the caddie room at the Ryder Cup, setting out all the kit, so he’s kept a hold of some great memorabilia signed by guys like Seve and we chat about that. Or we’ll chat about golf course design and the way things are evolving – anything really.”

If the design of this venue comes up in the small talk the chances are it will be mostly positive judging by Ramsay’s comfort with the Erin Hills layout. He added: “It’s a strange feeling because

normally tee

EUAN McLEAN

shots make you quite nervous at the US Open. But sometimes you can miss shots and still be on the fairway.