Richie Ramsay’s mystery illness on the eve of the French Open was eased with confirmation of his appearance in next month’s PGA Championship
Ramsay will now join fellow Scots Stephen Gallacher, Marc Warren and the U.S. Tour based Russell Knox in the August 13th commencing PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
The Edinburgh-based Ramsay began feeling unwell around noon on Wednesday suffering from a stomach complaint and certainly not helped with temperatures nudging close to 40 degrees Celsius on the Le National course on the outskirts of Versailles.
Ramsay gave up any thought of playing a nine-hole late afternoon practice round to return to his Versailles hotel bed.
He awoke early with confirmation of a second PGA Championship appearance in his emails before heading to the course but then seeing the Euro 3m event delayed by a two-and-a-half hour storm warning before Ramsay ended his round with a level par 71 on the 2018 Ryder Cup host venue.
David Lloyd’s super shot of Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher during the opening of the French Open. (Photo – David Lloyd/www.golffile.ie)
The delay also meant those in the afternoon half of the draw did not complete their rounds well into the evening.
“I woke up on Wednesday feeling a bit sick but then around noon I really felt poorly and it wasn’t helped given it was roasting out here yesterday so after going straight to my bed in the afternoon I woke up feeling a lot better and helped also by the email from the PGA of America,” he said.
“But then it was good to get out there today and they’ve cut back a lot of the rough and while it makes the course play easier in one way, the hot weather is making the course play fiery and bouncy.
“And despite not feeling all that week yesterday afternoon I did have a good attitude today and that helped even when I had a long two-putt bogey there at the last.
“I just played pretty solid with nothing flashy as you don’t need to be flashy around this golf course.
“It’s a great golf course and why they needed a symposium to select this course for the 2018 Ryder Cup I will never know as it was a done deal and they just should of handed France the host role.”
Ramsay posted nine straight pars before his only birdie at the 10th while his only bogey was at the last.
He is returning to competition after knocking on the door for victory in last month’s Irish Open and while he eventually finished 10th he continued to show good form with an 11th place finish in his last event in Austria.
And having won earlier in the year in capturing the Hassan 11 Trophy in Morocco and now with the reward of a PGA Championship tee time, Ramsay’s already working on his schedule for 2016.
“Winning in Morocco was like a two-and-three-quarter exemption given it was early in the season and now on top of the good results at Royal County Down and Austria I am working on my schedule for next year already,” he said.
“The PGA Championship in a few week’s time will be my second PGA and that’s where I will now be wanting to play more often in the bigger events.
“So it’s all going pretty well and I’m just trying to stay loose and stay fit.
“And looking back on that Hassan 11 Trophy win it’s been a great in terms of taking any stress off my shoulders winning so early in a season.”
Stirling’s Craig Lee and Glasgow’s Scott Jamieson carded one over par 72s and with Stephen Gallacher at two over par and one fewer than Chris Doak.
