Richie Ramsay comes to St Andrews in late September needing pounds and points to keep his card in the past, but being safe this time doesn’t make him feel comfortable.
The Aberdonian won for a fourth time on tour at the Cazoo Classic in August, thereby taking care of the next couple of years’ playing rights. But he’s conscious of not resting on his laurels.
‘I need to aim high, top 10s are where the money is’
Epic celebration for Richie Ramsay, who just won on the Euro Tour for the first time in 7 years. But my favorite part comes at the 25-second mark, when it all hits him at once… pic.twitter.com/YRh7yHSkGo
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) July 24, 2022
“I need to be very careful I don’t get complacent, I need to set myself a target,” he said.
“Dubai (the season-ending DP World Championship) is not secure until I get on the plane, or until mathematically it’s not possible to be out.
“I need to pick up as many points as possible and this is a big week. I have done well here before and it boosts your confidence a bit. But I need to aim high, top 10s are where all the money is.
“Every time there’s a shift in your golf, up and down, it brings challenges. The number of the people you speak to who get near the top and then say ‘well, where do I go now?’.
“You need a sense of purpose, you need something that you can climb towards. That’s always a danger that I need to watch.”
Ramsay’s putting has been an issue since his win at Hillside, but not surprisingly he’s been addressing it.
“Last week in France was an example, sixth in fairways hit, 22nd in greens in regulation, missed the cut,” he said. “At the BMW PGA I lost five and a half strokes on the greens. Take those five off my score, I’m top 20 and it’s been a great week.
“I’ve worked really hard with the Callaway guys on putter settings. I putted at Carnoustie this week and everything looks good.
“It’s just a case of getting out and doing it. You maybe hole a couple more putts a round, but it’s also the momentum that builds from it.”
‘I feel a lot of countries are overtaking us’
Ramsay is encouraged with the state of Scottish golf at the tour level, but admits to being concerned about what’s coming next.
“On the pro circuit, we’re in a good place,” he said. “There’s always a saltire up there on the leaderboard which is great to see.
“And there’s a wide age difference, from Davie Drysdale and Stevie (Gallacher) to the young guys like Bob (MacIntyre) and Ewen (Ferguson), that’s 20 years.
“But I think there are huge strides to be made from where the pro guys are and what’s coming next.
“I went to look at the facility at Carnoustie this week and was really impressed. They’re giving kids free lessons, it’s just £20 a month to use their indoor centre in the winter. That stuff is brilliant.
“Last week I saw the French (amateur) set-up and saw the facilities they have, how their money’s distributed and what they’re doing.
“This is a personal feeling, but I feel a lot of countries are overtaking us. There’s a massive difference to make up.”