Scot Richie Ramsay can head to this week’s season-closing DP World Tour Championship full of confidence despite going so close to success at the 40th anniversary Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.
Ramsay saw his chance at a second Tour title this season end in finishing bogey, bogey in a closing 69 for fourth place in the thunderstorm-hit Sun City event in South Africa.
Earlier this year, the 39-year-old East Lothian golfer ended more than a seven-year winless tournament itch in capturing the Cazoo Classic and now just 10 events on, the Scot looked set to join young gun Ewen Ferguson with two wins apiece this season.
Tommy Fleetwood successfully defended his title from 2019, two-putting the final green from some 50-feet for a winning par and win by a shot at 11-under from Kiwi Ryan Fox who horribly bogeyed the last for a third day running in his 68 to be second.
“Honestly one of my biggest goals was to win with my whole family here. They came this week, but now they are the airport!” 😂
Hear from @TommyFleetwood1 after winning again in South Africa. #NGC2022 pic.twitter.com/8h30j0LL65
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) November 13, 2022
“It’s been a great week. I already had so many amazing memories of this place, such a great connection to it.
“It’s amazing we got four rounds in in the end and it was such a lovely feeling coming down the back nine with a chance. You draw on the good memories that you have round somewhere you’ve won. I felt good all day.”
And those memories includes a special bronze plaque.
“You know, it meant so much to have my name on the ninth walkway where they put down the bronze plaques with all the previous winners and some of the greatest players of all time,” Fleetwood added. “This week I sent a video of that walkway to my dad who is back home because we had always said how great would it be to put my name down there. I showed him it, and he immediately texted back saying, ‘Let’s put down a second one.”
Ramsay jumped from the gates to be superbly racing to four-under through 10 holes and then muscled his way into a share of the lead holing an eight-footer for birdie at the par-5 14th hole but it was not the finish the proud Scot was seeking, leaving his third shot well short at the par-4 17th and also two-putting the par- 18th and 72nd hole also for a bogey.
Joining Ramsay teeing-up in Dubai, and his first visit in five years, will be four other Scots including ‘Rookie of the Year’ elect and double Tour 2022 Tour winner, Ewen Ferguson who posted a closing 71 for four-under total.
Aberdonian David Law was one shot back after his closing 72 while Robert MacIntyre ended with a 70 for a level par tally.
Fifer Conor Syme signed for a 74 to finish at four-over and was also UAE-bound lying 32nd on the Race to Dubai money list and inside the leading-52 looking for a large slice of this coming week’s US$10m prize purse.
Second last man among the leading 52 was the 51st place Law while missing out by three places lower down the money last was the 55th placed Scott Jamieson, who ended his season signing for closing 72 to be tied with Ferguson, when a 71 would have seen Jamieson head to Dubai.
MEANTIME
Ayrshire’s Liam Johnston has it all to do in Monday’s round four of the six-round final qualifier at Tarragona in Spain.
Johnston added a third round 70 to be sharing 25th place heading the Monday’s fourth round cut in the 156-player field.
The leading 25 on Wednesday will earn full 2023 DP World Tour membership.
Johnston said: “It was a really solid day for me today, key being holing some nice putts when I needed to.
“I can’t believe we are only at the halfway stage as it seems like we have played a lot of golf but with three rounds to go, all we can do is see what happens.”
Two shots further back is Peebles Craig Howie and with Stevie Gallacher four adrift of 25th place while Michael Stewart is at one-over and now outside the top-100.
