Scottish golfer Richie Ramsay missed out on more than just a slice of wedding cake after his bizarre U.S. Open qualifier fiasco reports.
Tour Miss and myself were present at Walton Heath up to 10.30pm on Monday night to cover one of the most bizarre recent episodes in golf.
Ramsay’s commitment to his golf and to also himself has come into serious question after deciding to attend a Belfast wedding reception but only to learn he had made the Walton Heath play-off.
Ramsay not only missed his flight to Northern Ireland to help celebrate Gareth Maybin’s wedding but in the bigger career picture he missed the chance to join Stephen Gallacher and Martin Laird as the only Scots in next fortnight’s U.S. Open at Congressional.
Had Ramsay not left the course and sought to fly to Belfast, he could be teeing-up with the chance of earning the $US 1.2m first prize cheque on offer at the U.S. Open host venue in Bethesda, Maryland.
Ramsay had intended to fly to Belfast on a 7.40pm in time for the 8.45pm reception but got stuck in traffic to Heathrow and missed the BA flight.
And he would have made the flight had there not been a three-and-a-half hour fog delay to the start of play.
However once the delay was known Ramsay should have immediately opted out of the attending the wedding reception.
It leaves you wondering who is managing Ramsay’s affairs as ISM had Louis Martin present at Walton Heath while IMG’s Adrian Mitchell was also on hand to advise their respective players where they were positioned.
Ramsay blamed a lack of an on-course phone number at Walton Heath where he could phone to check scores.
He then phoned good friend Stephen Gallacher who had not left the course, given he was at five-under par and one fewer than Ramsay.
Gallacher was sitting in his flash Audi A7 and about to head to Celtic Manor when he received the first of Ramsay’s two calls.
“It’s really disappointing for Richie and I feel sorry for him, but then in retrospect he should have stayed at the course,” said Gallacher.
“I finished at five under par and even then I wasn’t certain I would get in but then I did.
“The Majors is where you want to be playing.
“I played at Pinehurst in 2005 and we saw that year what Michael Campbell did in qualifying at Walton Heath and then go on to win the U.S. Open.
“And you only have to look at Gregory Havret who qualified at Walton Heath last year through a play-off and then finished second to McDowell.
“It’s the old saying that you have to be in it, to win it.
“So I’m definitely excited and the more Scots in the Majors the better.”
However Ramsay now misses out on what Gallacher stands the chance of earning at Congressional.
- The opportunity to earn a $US 1.2m first prize cheque.
- Huge corporate endorsements worth millions.
- Invites and appearance fees to compete around the globe.
- The opportunity to take our US Tour membership with victory or a top of the board placing.
- Huge world ranking points for contesting a Major plus the prestige of competing in a fifth Major Championship
- A 10-year US Open exemption plus a 5-year exemption into the other three Majors
- A start in all four WGCs
- The chance to capture the Race to Dubai title
- Honorary Life Membership of the European Tour
Ramsay had returned to the course some 15 minutes after the play-off had been decided and with Sweden’s Johan Edfors grabbing the 11th and final qualifying place.
Ramsay met with an official of the USGA but then when the official sought to go into detail Ramsay remarked: “Please. I don’t want to hear this right now. Please stop.”
However while greatly annoyed in leaving the course, Ramsay, and to his enormous credit, sought out the Walton Heath press room and did agree to speak with the www.golfbytourmiss.com and four other members of the media still in attendance at 9.45pm.
“It’s really disappointing because after winning the U.S. Amateur, I know that the U.S. Open sets up so well for my game,” he said.
“Also being based in Atlanta would allow me to head back over to the States next week and prepare well for the championship.
“But then I ‘ve only got myself to blame and I have to live with my decision.”
And Ramsay’s not the first player to depart a tournament believing he was not going to play on.
Two years ago, fellow Scot Alastair Forsyth left the BMW PGA Championship after two rounds believing he had not made the Wentworth cut.
Forsyth had to return from Glasgow to play the final two rounds.
And in the same event Sweden’s Robert Karlsson was back in Monaco expecting also that he had missed the cut.
Karlsson went to great cost to drive from Monte Carlo to Paris Beauvious Airport, and 100 kilometres north of Paris, to board a charter jet to get him back to Wentworth where he proceeded to shoot a third round 64 on route to finishing 13th.
Both Ramsay and Maybin are contesting this week’s Saab Wales Open.
And while Ramsay will congratulate Maybin on his marriage, he’ll be haunted for many more years to come on blowing the chance to compete in a U.S. Open.
Both Ramsay and Maybin are contesting this week’s Saab Wales Open.
