Richie Ramsay boosted hopes of ending a four-year winless drought with a hopeful fourth Tour victory to be trailing just two shots from the lead heading to the weekend rounds at the Qatar Masters.
Ramsay, 35 delighted in bouncing back from a penultimate hole bogey to birdie the last in a two-under par 70 and move to six-under on the windswept Doha Golf Club course in the Qatar capital.
The trio of Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera (68) along with the South African pair of Justin Harding (68) and George Coetzee (68) head with field on eight-under par.
Former Dunhill Links champ, Oliver Wilson (68) is among a further four sharing third on seven-under par.
The Renaissance-attached Ramsay lies in an eight-way share of eighth at six-under par and among those is Aussie Deyen Lawson who grabbed a second ace in six events.
Richie Ramsay on his way to just two shots from the lead heading to the last two rounds of the Qatar Masters. (Photo – European Tour)
Ramsay had battled Thursday’s testing and windy conditions superbly with a round of 68 and that he kick-started in brilliant manner in eagling his first and taking birdie at the second.
He was out early on day two posting six straight pars before birdie at seven and then picking-up a second birdie of the day at the par-5 10th and the hole Ramsay had eagled a day earlier.
The Scot then posted six straight pars before his only bogey at the par-3 17th but made up for the dropped shot in birding the 18th for a second day running.
“I am really pleased with a 70 as I actually played better, way better today than yesterday,” he said.
“I was just really steady and played really the way I am used to playing. It was disappointing to three-putt 17 for bogey but I then hit a fantastic drive down the last and then found the green for a two-putt birdie and that birdie was important now going into the weekend.
“It makes a difference finishing with a birdie on the last because you’re sitting there in the afternoon and you’re looking back on your round knowing that I finished strong as opposed to making a par there on the last given 18 is makeable birdie hole.
“To bogey 17 as I did and not to have birdied 18 would have put a dampener on things with regards your mindset and attitude as you are always looking for any kind of ray light sort of thing, and more so on days when you poorly perform.
“So, to get that ray of light on 18 helps you going into the next day and hopefully I can go and shoot a good score.”
The ‘Shamal’, and a common natural occurrence in the Middle East, again has played havoc with those competing in Qatar and with Ramsay singling out the difference in hitting clubs around the exposed course.
He said: “The wind is making it tough to judge shots as I was playing an 8-iron shot out of the rough on one hole and had 145-yards and then on another hole I also had an 8-iron and even in the same wind, I had 175-yards, so that is tough to judge.
“There is a lot of flyers out there and with the breeze now getting up for this afternoon so it is going to be similar to what we had yesterday afternoon.
“Overall, I am very happy and really content going to the weekend.”
Double Doha winning Paul Lawrie missed the one-under par cut with scores of 80 and 72 for an eight-over 152 total while Borders David Drysdale withdrew with injury after nine second day holes to be struggling at five-over.
