Scotland’s US Open contingent has doubled with Richie Ramsay celebrating a 10-year absence in shooting a pair of 66s to qualify for next fortnight’s Major in Wisconsin.
Ramsay stormed home first on Walton Heath’s Old Course in birding four holes in succession from the 13th and the Scot then did the same after a short lunch break to birdie the same four holes on the New Course.
The effort was good enough to hand Ramsay a share of third place among the leading 15 qualifiers now headed to the year’s second Major.
Scot Richie Ramsay wins the 2006 US Amateur to qualify to contest the 2007 US Amateur. It was the last occasion his contested the event.
It will be only Ramsay’s second US Open after the now 33-year old captured the 2006 US Amateur that qualified him to tee-up a year later at Oakmont and just two months before he elected to turn pro at the Russian Open.
However, since then it has been a dry run at Walton Heath for the Edinburgh-based pro who will join top-ranked Scot Russell Knox in the $US 12m Major starting on June 15th at Erin Hills in suburban Milwaukee.
And Ramsay now needs no reminding of the efforts of Kiwi Michael Campbell who qualified for the 2005 US Open also at Walton Heath and then a fortnight later became the first New Zealand-born winner of the championship.
“I am naturally delighted as it has been a long time, 10-years in fact, since I last contested as US Open and then as an amateur”, he said.
“So, now looking forward very much to heading to Erin Hills”.
In fact, Ramsay was in attendance as the first alternate at the 2011 U.S. Open six years ago at Congressional but then was only after Ramsay had bizarrely forfeited the likelihood of qualifying automatically when he elected to head to nearby Heathrow Airport for a flight to Belfast but not knowing his efforts had been good enough to qualify.
Unfortunately, it was a forlorn journey to Congressional as no one in the field withdrew that would have handed Ramsay a tee time.
However, six other Scots at Walton Hearth today did not do so well and all falling shy of the nine-under qualifying mark.
Among those to miss out was Stephen Gallacher who withdrew without ending his first-round while Scott Jamieson, and well in contention mid-round last week at Wentworth, left the course after 13 holes of his second round and with Jamieson was two-under at the time.
Also missing out was recent Crail Battle Trophy winner, Conor Syme of Drumoig, and with the Walker Cup hopeful never recovering from being four-over par through six holes in scores of 73 and 72.
England’s Aaron Rai grabbed top qualifying honours with rounds of 66 and 64 for a 14-under tally.
