WE’LLHAVENO CAR TROUBLE
DUNHILL LINKS
THEY call it Car-nasty but Carnoustie’s famous track holds no fears for Calum Hill and Richie Ramsay.
The Scots head for the Angus links today on the third leg of their Dunhill Links Championship adventure convinced they can keep piling the pressure on the big guns.
Challenge Tour star Hill shares second spot with Swede Joakim Lagergren and Englishman Matthew Southgate at halfway in the £4million tournament while Ramsay is tucked in just behind his compatriot in joint fifth spot.
Hill fired a flawless seven-under 65 at the Old Course to move to 13 under, one behind leader Matthew Jordan of England.
Kirkcaldy-born Hill – fresh from two wins this summer that elevated him to No.1 on the second-tier tour – has risen to 126th in the world, jumping 1356 places in 14 months after winning the Northern Ireland Open, Euram Bank Open and Made in Denmark Challenge.
But the newcomer has not looked at all out of place in the company of superstars such as world No.2 Rory McIlroy who is eight under after a 66.
And like Ramsay he isn’t in the least fazed at the prospect of tangling with legend Jack Nicklaus’ favourite links course.
But he did confess to being taken aback when he discovered he is the third highest-ranked Scot in world golf.
He said: “I was a bit surprised. But it’s nice to be working up that way.
“If I can get to a similar position by the end of the year it will put me in a great position for next season. It’s hopefully building a really solid foundation.
“The plan was always to graduate from the Challenge Tour and being in the No.1 spot is as good as I could have hoped for.
“I always set goals for myself that are quite high and I’m managing to achieve them at the moment.”
Hill gets his first taste of Carnoustie today and despite its fearsome reputation he said: “I quite like the fact it’s about placing your shots, kind of like playing chess.
“So I’m looking forward to it. I’ve heard it’s not going to be too windy.”
Ramsay continues to feed off his equal sixthplace finish at last week’s BMW PGA Championship.
After a second-round 67 at the home of golf he said: “It was a really good day’s work ahead of a tough one tomorrow. But I kind of like Carnoustie. I played it in The Open with Harrington in 2007.
“I just have to keep my foot down and keep on enjoying the event.
Russell Knox, Scott Jamieson and Robert MacIntyre all carded 66s to stay in the hunt for the £642,000 top prize.
Knox sits on the same 12-under mark as Ramsay while Jamieson is three further back, two ahead of Oban rookie MacIntyre.
Fellow Scot Liam Johnston is six under following a 69, the same as Ayrshire’s Euan Walker who posted 70 just three weeks after turning pro.