Richie Ramsay is determined his fondness for Irish golf can now help secure a place into next fortnight’s Open Championship heading into the closing two rounds of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.
Ramsay added a second round 69 to his opening 67 and move to eight-under par with two rounds to play on the parkland Mount Juliet course near Kilkenny.
It left the Scot trailing just five shots behind Aussie Lucas Herbert, who added a 67 to his opening 64 and move to 13-under par and two clear of the field as the 2020 Dubai Desert Classic winner seeks a second European Tour victory trophy.
Ramsay’s second round was a mix of four birdies and dropping his only shot in 36-holes at the 15th hole in the overcast and windy conditions.
Scotland’s Richie Ramsay well in contention at the Irish Open (Photo – Golfbytourmiss.com)
The now East Lothian based Scot got his round off to a great start in holing a seven-footer for birdie at the first and then at the par-3 sixth, Ramsay landed a 5-iron to 15-foot and holed the birdie putt.
Ramsay then birdied the par-5 10th for a second day running ahead of a birdie at the par-3 14th but then giving a shot back at the next in front of 2,500 appreciative Irish fans.
He said: “It was much like yesterday. It was very steady. It was nice to start with a birdie and after a couple of other birdies, I holed a six-foot for par on 17 and then also a six-footer at the last and that’s the difference between literally having a really good round and having — and just feel like you’ve lost it.
“So, it was a real momentum booster obviously going to lunch. You’ve got the rest of the day to think about it. You make those two putts, if you walk off there, sort of chest out, striding along, and if you don’t, you’re kind of hunched down a bit.
“But this was a nice way to finish that, and yeah, kind of enjoying being out here. It’s nice to have the fans come out. I know it’s limited but it feels like there’s more people than it is because we’re used to playing in front of nobody”.
Ramsay has been travelling to Ireland since his teenage years and with team success in helping Scotland win the 2004 European Youths Amateur Team Championship at The Island club near Dublin and a year later enjoying individual success in the 2005 Irish Amateur title at Carton House.
Richie Ramsay (front row left) as a member of the victorious Scotland 2004 European Youths Amateur Team at The Island club near Dublin
Four years ago, in the Irish Open at Portstewart Ramsay was joint runner-up to now reigning US Open Jon Rahn.
Ramsay said: “I’ve always played some of my best golf almost in Ireland.
“I kind of come here and I feel sort of at peace, and the fans always come out. They make the difference, I think, when you play in front of them, like we don’t get to play in front of, you know, probably 70,000 to 80,000 when they are awe coming in.
“I remember stopping at a petrol station once, and this little kid is like, “There’s Richie Ramsay.” And I’m like, how does this like — they all know that they know the players and they know where they are from, and they know if they are a Callaway or a TaylorMade player and they know their rank and stuff like that.
“They love it, they absolutely love it, and the whole villages around it seem to get involved in it. It’s obviously a great place to play golf”.
And what Ramsay would love, and that’s aside from a fourth Tour victory, would be a tee-time in next fortnight’s Open Championship and, if successful, it would be a first appearance in golf’s oldest major since a career best of T22nd in the 2017 Open.
“Getting myself into Royal St. George’s is an extra thing,” he said.
“If I’m not in there, I hopefully will go back to Aberdeen to see the boys at the club and play up there. If I don’t get in, it’s going to be a good week no matter what”.
