Richie Ramsay is on target to become the first Scottish-born player in 89 years to capture two Omega European Masters victories in Switzerland.
After a career low of a 62 on day one, Ramsay remained at the summit of the co-sanctioned event in adding a second round four under par 66 to move to 12-under on the rain-softened Crans-sur-Sierre course.
Ramsay heads to the final two days of the event one shot ahead of in-form Welshman Jamie Donaldson with American Brooks Koepka in the clubhouse with a pair of 65s at 10-under par.
Dornoch’s Alex Ross and the only Scot to have won twice in the Swiss Open/European Masters.
Not since legendary Dornoch-born Alex Ross in 1925 has a Scottish-born player won twice in Switzerland and with Ross, who passed away in 1952 aged 71, being the first player to win the event three times in 1926.
Ross was the younger brother to famed golf course designer Donald Ross.
In fact, just four Scots in Ross, Eric Brown (1951), Colin Montgomerie (1996) and Ramsay (2012) have climbed to the summit of the alpine event in its 91-year history.
Ramsay kept himself in the winner’s frame with a second day effort that included five birdies and just his only bogey over the two rounds at the fourth hole or the 13th of his round.
“It was tricky out there today though it wasn’t as cold as I expected teeing up this morning but then when it started to rain that dropped the temperature a little bit,” he said.
“Overall it was a nice but then there were some tougher pins out there and that made scoring a lot higher and I felt I adapted well.
“My short game was good the first few holes and that kept me on an even keel and also kept the momentum going.
“I’ve only had the one bogey all week at that was at the fourth, and the fourth is always a tough hole but then I birdied the next, so that settled me down and then I picked another birdie on my 16th.”
And after going so close last week to victory across The Alps in Turin Ramsay is confident the experience of having captured a second Tour title in Switzerland two years ago will put him in good stead over the weekend.
“I’ve got a huge amount of experience around here but then winning not just here in Switzerland is tough,” said Ramsay.
“So I feel I will be able to deal with the nerves and the pressure a bit better. That’s what we all practice for. That’s what we all love and it’s those butterflies in the stomach and seeing how you react under pressure.
“I don’t think there is anything as better of playing well under pressure to win.”
Richie Ramsay remains atop of the Swiss Alps after two rounds of the European Masters. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
However Ramsay’s biggest threat will surely come from the Ryder Cup rookie and in-form Jamie Donaldson, a winner last fortnight in Prague.
Donaldson posted a six-under par 64 with his only blemish again dropping a shot at the 12th.
“I played pretty good today with my front nine really good while the back nine there was a few shots that could have been better,” he said.
“So overall very happy with the way I played and where i am in the tournament, so more of the same hopefully over the weekend.”
Glaswegian Scot Marc Warren produced the lowest round of the day, a seven under par 63 that included a first hole eagle for a second straight day along with seven birdies but also two bogeys.
Fifer Peter Whiteford boosted hopes of retaining his Tour card for 2015 with a five under par 65 and his best score in 15 months.
Whiteford arrived in The Alps lying a lowly 156th on the money list and after missing the halfway cut in four of 20 events this year the newly-married Scot has picked up a cheque in his last three since finishing fifth in the Russian Open.
