Motorhead Richie: Car trouble made me miss out on ace

Top Scot Richie Ramsay came within a foot of netting a stunning albatross – then joked that he didn’t hole his drive because there wasn’t a car in it for him.

The Aberdonian almost holed his 290-yard tee shot at the par four third hole. That would have been a incredible feat, coming just two weeks after he won a top of the range sports car for a hole in one at the BMW International in Germany.

But Ramsay was happy enough to settle for a tap-in eagle as part of a 70 that leaves him on six under par and in with an outside chance of the home open title he craves most. Ramsay smiled: “I tend to knock them in when there’s a prize. I did look back and there was no car behind the tee so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just putt for two’.

“I hit a three wood and I thought it had stopped on the ledge.

“I got down there and it was only a foot away. It must have been really close to going in and I don’t think I’ve had an albatross before. There’s still lots to play for. I’ll be looking to get out there early and try and post a number. I just need a little bit more belief and use it to chase a low one.

“Most guys know I’m the kind of person who gives my all on the first shot right the way to the 64th.

“But it’s just trying to chase a little bit of momentum. Anything is possible. If you get a little run out there you can start birdieing every hole and who knows.

“You get the putter hot and hit it in close there’s definitely birdies to be had out there.

“If you’d offered me four off the lead going into the last round at the start of the week I probably would have taken that.”