Exclusive: Ramsay Reminiseing Of Playing Royal Aberdeen As A Youngster In Taking Route 66 Day One Investec South African Open

7 months ago by Comments Off on Exclusive: Ramsay Reminiseing Of Playing Royal Aberdeen As A Youngster In Taking Route 66 Day One Investec South African Open

Former champion Richie Ramsay ​found himself reminiseing of his younger golfing days, playing his beloved Royal Aberdeen in posting a superb bogey-free 66 on ​day one of the 114th Investec South African Open in Durban.

​After a three-hour delay to the start of play Ramsay, 32, birdied four of his opening nine holes to end a shot behind the leading clubhouse duo of England’s Sam Bairstow and Swede Fredrik From​ who signed for 65s.

South African Darren Fichardt had moved to seven-under through 14 holes when poor light halted play. The 49-year-old Fichardt has captured 18 Sunshine Tour titles in his career, and some of the best tournaments on the Tour but is yet to taste success in winning a South African Open.

Heavy rain closed the host Durban Country Club course on Wednesday and with most players managing just one full practice round on the lay-out, located a wedge shot from the Indian Ocean shoreline.

The Renaissance Club based Ramsay’s effort matched a best opening round of 66 this new DP World Tour season at the recent Bahrain Championship in the heat of the Middle East and with the Scot really warmed also to Durban’s hot opening day conditions.

Ramsay said: “It was​  a really good round. I played exceptionally solid tee-to-green and it was nice to continue the form I enjoyed over in the Middle East, and ​on a golf course that I’ve played well before.

“I really enjoy the feel of the course, going along the coastline for the outward holes and then coming back in.

Richie Ramsay on his way to a bogey-free 66 on day one of the 114th Investec South African Open. Image – DP World Tour/Sushine Tour

 

“It kind of echoes the feelings I had playing at Royal Aberdeen when I was a kid while the greenskeepers here have done an unbelievable job to get the course playable, including the back nine that is in such good shape after the rain.

“Happy to be back in Durban. I’m enjoying the steaks and staying off the wine (smiling) and playing good golf.

“So, it’s all going well.”

Ramsay captured a maiden Tour title 14-years ago at the 2009 South African Open at Pearl Valley to the north-east of Cape Town, and in the final event of his full maiden Tour season.

And the now four-time Tour is back in Durban for a first occasion since 2013 when he finished T9th in the Volvo Champions event but horrendous floods in 2022 forced the club to redesign many holes​ including adding a Scottish-like burn that runs along the now par-5 14th ​and that has Ramsay’s full approval.​

Images show the burn breaking it’s banks on Wednesday with the course flooded, and as mentioned, unplayable.

He said: “The club has done a great job with the changes.  The greens surfaces are really nice.

“They’ve also done a good job of the canal running through to help get water off the course but then with mother nature you never know what to expect, as we saw yesterday.

“Also, when you play a golf course you enjoy as I do with this course, it just makes it that little bit easier”.

Fellow Scot Scott Jamieson, who captured the Nelson Mandela Championship at the close by Royal Durban club in 2012, signed for a level par 72.

Fifer Connor Syme was one-under through seven holes when play was halted while Callum Hill was struggling at four-over through 10 holes.



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