Rich pickings for Ramsay as he fights back in Morocco
RI C HI E rAMSAY admitted he was having to hold back tears after producing a brilliant final-round fightback to win the Hassan Trophy in Morocco yesterday.
Having been part of a three-way tie for the lead overnight, the Scot threatened to take the last day by storm with a run of four birdies from the third hole.
But his world appeared to crash after he three-putted for bogey on the seventh and then suffered the nightmare of running up a triple bogey at the short eighth where two chip shots failed to make the green.
Suddenly from holding a two-shot lead, the Aberdonian was two behind Frenchman romain Wattel.
But, after holing awkward eight-foot putts to save par on the next two greens, he bounced back with a run of three more birdies and signed for a 69 to complete his third European Tour career win with a one-shot margin.
‘ I am overwhelmed,’ said the 31-year-old afterwards as he clutched the gold-plated traditional Berber winner’s dagger handed to him by Morocco’s Crown Prince Moulay rachid and a cheque for 250,000 euros (£182,500). ‘It was a real rollercoaster out there and I am usually one of the steadiest players on Tour.’
Former US Amateur champion ramsay, who had arrived for the week at the sumptuous Golf du Palais royale course with few expectations because of a niggling lower back injury, explained how he had to dig deep mentally to triumph over adversity.
‘ What happened at the eighth showed how penal this course can be,’ he said. ‘I was only just short of the green but my first chip rolled back down a slope towards me and finished in a divot.
‘After those two putts went in on nine and 10, I started feeling good over t he putter and my shot execution over the closing holes was really good.’
A clearly emotional ramsay, who had missed the cut in four of his five events this season and withdrew from the other after three rounds due to illness, dedicated the win to his wife Angela and brother robin.
‘It means a huge amount,’ he said. ‘My brother has supported me since I was so young. This one’s for him and Angela. I know they are back home and probably going crazy at the moment.
‘I’ve gone through some tough times with injury but kept believing. They were at my back and said just go out there and play golf and that’s what I did today. It was so much fun out there.’
Some fog that started to roll in off the nearby Atlantic late in the day had also proved helpful.
‘As it started to close in, I said to my caddie ryan it was a bit like playing Carnoustie in May,’ grinned ramsay. ‘And as the temperature fell, I knew the ball would not fly as far.
‘But I was pretty pumped playing the last five or six, so that probably levelled it all out.’
After making par at the l ast, ramsay had to wait for 20 minutes while Wattel, playing in the last group, was trying to make birdie at the 18th to force a play-off.
But, unlike ramsay, his second shot into the final green did not reach its target and a birdie never looked on the cards.
Six players share third place on eight under, including South African George Coetzee, who had needed to win to move into the world’s top 50 and secure a trip to the Masters.
Spanish veteran Jose Maria olazabal turned back the years with a 66 and set an early clubhouse target at seven under par. But ramsay eventually bettered that by three shots.
Another Scot slipped out of the picture , however. Glasgow’s 35-year- old Andrew McArthur had been playing alongside Wattel and, after a career spent on the Challenge Tour, had been hoping a shock win of his own would earn him promotion.
But he, too, fell victim of the steep slope in front of the eighth green, making treble bogey and failing to recover. After signing for a 77, he slipped back from a share of the overnight lead into a tie for 34th.