Tartan Trio Warren, Ramsay & Jamieson – A Combined 50-Years On DP World Tour

…… Yas Links, Abu Dhabi 

The Tartan trio of Marc Warren, Richie Ramsay and Scott Jamieson head into 2023 boasting a combined 50-year of competition on the DP World Tour.

Warren joined the Tour in 2002 playing a handful of events and now at the start of a 21st season the 41-year-old Scot, and four-time Tour winner, is teeing-up this week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship contesting a 466th event.

Ramsay is two years younger than Warren and is also a four-time DP World winner, capturing last year’s Cazoo Classic while it could have been a double-winning season for Ramsay, who was leading going down the final hole two months earlier at the Betfred British Masters.

Ramsay is heading into a 13th year on the Tour and teeing-up this week on the Yas Links course in a 366th DP World event.

The 39-year old Jamieson, and the same age as Ramsay, and this week is competing in his 326th event.

And with fellow Scots Stephen Gallacher and David Drysdale not retaining full 2023 Tour membership in losing their full Tour status, the trio are the oldest Home of Golf players heading into this new season.

“It’s just amazing that I’ve been out here for 20 years  and now heading into a 21st but I will say that my enthusiasm is probably stronger now than when I first came onto the Tour,” said Warren.

“Of course, my lifestyle has changed since coming out here in 2000, married and with a family and while I’ve been through career peaks and troughs, though in terms of looking forward to this new season I am just excited to get going”.

Jamieson arrived in Abu Dhabi having spent the Festive Season with his family at their Florida residence on the Plantation Resort at Ponte Vedre , and getting back in practice working on his game at the famed TPC Sawgrass course, and as we know, venue each year for the PGA Tour’s Players Championship.

So, for a Scot living in Florida and competing in South Africa, as he did prior to Christmas, along with events in the UAE and then Europe, Jamieson must have a huge amount of air miles.

“I don’t think about the travelling too much, to be honest. It’s part of the job and this time of the year everyone is going long haul and, in my case, it’s just a bit longer on the plane and a couple of hours more in terms of a time change. But I just try to ignore it and do my job,” he said,

“I do set goals at the start of each year, but they are not outcome goals and more process goals.

“I’m going to do five events in a row then have two months off.”

And while living with the resort that surrounds The Plantation course does he get to practice on the TPC Sawgrass course?

 “We live on a golf course while I also practice a bit at TPC Sawgrass but don’t play a great deal there. I don’t push the envelope in that respect”, said Jamieson smiling.

Ramsay’s last season effort of 19th on the money list was a best by a dozen places on the Race to Dubai, in recording a fourth career victory along with a third place in going so close to success at the British Masters.

Like Warren and Jamieson he also packed the clubs away over the Christmas/New Year season ahead of returning to Dubai last week, and his first steps of shaking off any rust in his game.

And while it was quality time off from competition in spending time with his young family, it was also a great time to reflect on his achievements in season 2022, and also it certainly was not ‘sitting back in the lounge, putting his feet-up’ for some six weeks or so.

“I have been undergoing a lot of gym work and it was only last week in heading out to Dubai, I was back into hitting balls,” he said.

“The break was good also to look back on what was a good season it was for me last year, being in contention in coming down the stretch twice and to get a win was great.

“Of course, two wins would have been fantastic (smiling) but it’s always nice to sit back and chill out knowing it has been a winning year.”

Ramsay, who’ll turn 40 mid-June, is planning to start his ’23 season playing four events in succession – this week’s Abu Dhabi tournament, next week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship and before teeing-up in the February 9th starting inaugural Singapore Classic.

And there’s change in Ramsay’s headwear this year as he’s signed a deal with Callaway Golf, and the clubs he’s used for so many years, to now wear their cap.

He said:  Yes, I’m now also a Callaway cap player (smiling).

“I’ve been using Callaway clubs for a long while now.  I’ve never been one to go too much down the rabbit hole with too much equipment changes straight off the bat heading to a new season, especially on this golf course.

“I also have my other main sponsors still supporting me, and that’s been very good for me to have partners which are an essential part of being out on the Tour”.

In my role filling copy to Scotland’s leading newspaper – the Daily Record – it’s been great working with all the Scots and wishing Marc, Scott and Richie every success this year.

 



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