Richie Ramsay is refusing to rest on his laurels after securing promotion to next season’s European Tour with his second victory on the Challenge Tour at the weekend.
The 25-year-old from Aberdeen, who claimed his maiden professional title in August’s Vodafone Challenge in Germany, continued in the rich vein of form he has found on the second tier circuit with a two-stroke win in the AGF Allianz Golf Open in Toulouse.
Ramsay, who pocketed the first prize of £17,300, now sits in sixth place on the Challenge Tour rankings, but, with the lucrative Apulia San Domenico Grand Final in Italy still to come at the end of the month, the former US Amateur champion has set his sights on the order of merit’s number one spot.
“The grand final is the big one,” said Ramsay, who has now earned more than £80,000 in prize money during the 2008 season.
“Finishing in the top 10 on the rankings gets you a very good category for the tour, but the number one spot also gets you into the Champions event which is a huge tournament.
“I’d like to think I am safe for a top 10 finish, but now I want to push on and go for the top spot.
“The two wins have really helped me relax and grow in confidence. Now I know I can win instead of just believing I can win, but, as always, there’s still room for improvement.”
Ramsay opted to turn down a number of invitations to events on the main tour this season so he could focus on his Challenge Tour campaign and, having sealed his place among the elite for the 2009 season, the former Scottish stroke-play champion’s decision has been fully justified.
He added: “There is a temptation to take the chances on the main tour, but I decided the Challenge Tour route would be the best option for me.
“Sometimes when you are playing on different tours it doesn’t help. Yes, I could’ve played six or seven events on the main tour this season, but now I’ll get far more chances next year with a good card. It’s worked out very well.”