RAGS TO RICHIES

On-fire Ramsay finally makes French connection to sit one off the pace

RICHIE RAMSAY looks to have put a horror French Open run behind him after posting 66 to sit one shot off the lead in Versailles.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox and South African George Coetzee are the leading duo with Ramsay next alongside local favourite Benjamin Herbert and American Kurt Kitayama.

Ramsay arrived in Versailles, last year’s victorious European Ryder Cup venue, having endured four years of missing the cut.

He made his French Open debut a decade ago but on just three occasions in 10 starts has he played all four rounds.

The Aberdeen golfer finished fifth in 2011, 62nd in 2013 and T57th in 2015 – but in each of his other seven showings he has been back home for the weekend.

Ramsay, who grabbed six birdies yesterday on his way to five under par, said: “It’s a fantastic course.

“A little bit different this year, a bit colder, a bit softer, so the course is playing quite long.

“It’s a joy to play a course like this because it just tests the whole part of your game and mentally. There’s a lot of water out there so you have to be committed to your shots.”

Fellow Scot Liam Johnston bounced back from a first-hole bogey to produce a three-under 68.

Stephen Gallacher was out in the second group of the day as he shot 70 while Marc Warren, who teed off first, signed for a level-par 71.

Also at level par is David Law but Scott Jamieson had a disappointing round of just one birdie, three bogeys and a ninth hole double-bogey in his score of 75.

However, scoring conditions were generally favourable in continental Europe’s oldest national open, which has moved from a traditional summer spot to the autumn with softer conditions and lighter rough.

There were 49 players under par at the end of round one with Coetzee and Fox leading the way after carding rounds of 65 each containing a single bogey.

Coetzee set the target in the morning and he reached seven under at one point before a bogey on the 17th dropped him back.

He said: “It was almost perfect. I played really well. It’s nice to be in the mix again. It has been kind of a hard, long year but it feels like the game is coming along nicely.”

Fox’s single blemish came on the 13th but he redeemed himself with a stunning tee-shot on the par-three 16th to share the lead.

He said: “I’m pretty happy. This is a course that can kick you pretty quickly. I played really solid today, holed some putts.

“I played those tough holes, that closing stretch, well. I could have potentially grabbed a couple more on those last four, which is always a bonus. But happy to walk away with a 65 around here.”

One man who didn’t enjoy the day was 2012 champion Marcel Siem. The German incorrectly believed preferred lies were in play and lifted, cleaned and replaced his ball five times on the fairway before discovering his error and walking off.

On Facebook, Siem wrote: “I conceded 10 penalty strokes. That was a little too much for me and I disqualified myself.”