Richie Ramsay completed his comeback from an ankle injury by finishing just outside the top 10 yesterday in the Hassan Trophy in Morocco.
After five months out of tournament action, the Aberdonian shot a final-round 69 at the Palais Royal course in Agadir for an eight-under-par four-round total of 280. It left him 11 shots short of runaway Spanish winner Alejandro Canizares, but disappointment was the last thing on his mind.
Ramsay played well enough yesterday to finish at least a couple of shots closer but suffered a setback at the par-3 16th hole when he had a poor lie in a greenside bunker and ran up a double bogey. That, however, was the only blip on a back nine played in just 32 shots which included four birdies and an eagle at the par-4 13th where he holed his six iron second shot from 159yd.
“The double was a bit disappointing,” said Ramsay. “But I feel its been a good week after such a long lay-off.”
Marc Warren started the final round only four shots off second-placed Englishman Seve Benson but made no progress up the leaderboard after a level-par 72 which left him back in a tie for 18th place.
Canizares cruised to a wire-to-wire victory to claim his first European Tour title since 2006.
He took a six-shot lead into the final round and carded a closing 70 to finish 19 under, five clear of England’s Andy Sullivan.
Vikki Laing and rookie Sally Watson tied for top Scots honours on one-over-par 285 in the Lalla Meryem Cup European Tour 72-hole event at Golf de L’Ocean, Agadir on Morocco’s Atlantic coastline. They finished joint 33rd, 16 behind England’s Charley Hull, who beat France’s Gwladys Nocera with a birdie at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off.
Bryan Fotheringham (Inverness) returned to his former home course at Forres on Saturday to notch his fifth win on the North Scottish Golfers’ Alliance 2013-2014 circuit.
Fotheringham shot a two-under-par 65 off winter tees. Robert McKerron, a member of the host club, finished runner-up on 66.