Hillside ….
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay’s giving himself four years to age 40 and unless his golf improves the three-time Tour winning Scot is threatening he could quit the game.
Ramsay, 36 struggled last year producing his poorest season of 114th on the European Tour money list since making his pro debut a fortnight after contesting the 2007 Open at Carnoustie.
Since then the Scot has contested 277 events and banking £6.1m in prize-money.
But the former U.S. Amateur champ, who won last in capturing the 2015 Hassan 11 Trophy in Morocco, wants more and especially after a 2018 season when he collected just one top-10.
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay threatening to quit golf if his game does not improve by age 40 (Photo – @tourmiss)
He said: “Well, for me, I wouldn’t be out here. I’d be at home every day spending time with Angela and Olivia (daughter) and that is what is important for me.
“It goes a little bit against my value system but, at the same time, my brother and Angela were very good as they reminded me that if I do this job, I get to spend multiple weeks with them as I try to give Olivia as many opportunities as I can as she gets older.
“That was an inward battle that I had and I am now a little bit more peace with it.
“I still struggle with it. I watch videos of Olivia all the time when I’m at tournaments.
“But I have a goal, which, with everybody on board, is to pretty much play until I am 40. If I don’t feel I am in place where I don’t want to continue and I’m not motivated because I need to be 100 per cent in on it, I must decide to do something else or take a year out.
“How good would that be to spend a whole year with my daughter. When you have a plan, you have to be at peace with it and that’s the thing I have found the hardest to deal with.”
That said Ramsay reckon he’s good reason to do well at this week’s Betfred British Masters at the Hillside course near Southport.
Tommy Fleetwood is hosting the £3m event for a first occasion having grown-up in the area but spent his earlier days ‘sneaking’ onto the neighbouring Royal Birkdale, and host to 10 Open Championships.
Indeed, players are driving this week down the roadway leading to Royal Birkdale to get into Hillside and with Hillside a former host venue to the British Amateur (2011), European Amateur (1991), the European Amateur Team Championship (2005) while it has long been a Final Qualifying venue for a Royal Birkdale Open.
Ramsay had just been picked for the 2005 GB & I Walker Cup team when he represented the Scottish team that finished fifth in 2005 European Team Amateur.
He said: “I have some nice memories from this part of the world. This is where I got picked for the Walker Cup after we played in the European Team Championship here, and I recall playing pretty well that week for our Scottish side.
“I also remember playing in the British Boys here years ago and Nick Dougherty was in the field that week. I enjoy this golf course and it is very under-rated because I think the back nine has some of the best holes we play out here”.
Ramsay, and among 10 Scots vying for the £1/2m first prize cheque, tees-up coming off a T14th in last week’s Volvo China Open and a best finish in his nine events of the new season.
He said: “I felt a result like I had in China was coming. I played well in Morocco without doing too much.
“So, my form is also good coming into this event, so I am looking for a good week.
“I’ve been a bit quiet recently, keeping my head down as I work on things. It might sound funny, but I am trying to enjoy my golf a little bit more. I got torn a little bit between the travelling and not being home spending time with the family.
“In my own mind, that was a bit of battle that I was fighting towards the end of last year. I read a lot of things about people and, though this sounds funny, if you had a month to live, what would you do?
“Overall, it’s just great to have a European Tour event back here as they are a little bit starved of golf around here as outside of The Open, they don’t get the opportunity and I think you saw that at Close House in this event a couple of years ago.
“And to drive past the clubhouse at Royal Birkdale each day is just great as the 2017 Open was my first as a pro. It was one of my favourite weeks of golf ever and also in finishing just outside the top-20. It was an amazing experience and I’d love to do something like that again.”
