Richie Ramsay is carrying no regrets into this week’s Genesis Scottish Open following a near miss in Denmark last weekend.
Aberdeen’s Ramsay was firmly in contention in the final round of last weekend’s Made in HimmerLand tournament, but finished a shot adrift of the play-off after recording a double bogey on his final hole.
An approach shot into the water proved to be Ramsay’s undoing, with Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard going on to claim the victory.
Having found himself in a similar position at last year’s British Masters at the Belfry, Ramsay insists he makes no apologies for “shooting for the stars” when in contention.
He said: “It brings a lot of confidence. It’s great being in the mix.
“It hurts to lose. Ever since I was a little kid, I hate losing. But it’s part and parcel of the journey these days, and it makes you stronger and more determined to get a win.
“I took it on board a little bit more and realised that, the problem is not that I hit a bad shot at the wrong time. The problem would be if I wasn’t putting myself in that position, but I was there taking a shot at it. You kind of shoot for the stars, and I’ll hit one of the stars again sooner or later.
“Yeah, I was annoyed I didn’t win but for me, I didn’t do anything wrong. The shot I hit at The Belfry was because I was indecisive. I didn’t make a clear decision and that’s on me.
“That’s not on anybody else and that’s why it hurt a lot more, but (with) this one, my viewpoint is you’ve got to hit a great shot down the stretch to win a tournament.
“There’s an opportunity, and if you don’t take it you’re going to regret it. I don’t regret taking it, because if I pulled it off, I feel that I left myself in a good position to get up-and-down or two-putt – and you win a tournament.”
What a time to do it 😱@RamsayGolf sinks a birdie to go into the LEAD 💪#MIH23 pic.twitter.com/bo23C8kl0n
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 9, 2023
Game in good place
Ramsay will be in familiar surroundings at this year’s Scottish Open, given he is a member of The Renaissance Club.
The 40-year-old, who is exempt from qualifying for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, is refusing to burden himself with additional pressure on home territory.
He added: “I feel like my game is in a good place. I want to be confident about this week, but my expectations are at a reasonable level because I know the way the golf course plays, and I know whose strengths it plays to. It doesn’t always play to my strengths, looking at the winners the last few years.
“We have The Open, and then we’ve got a fantastic stretch of golf starting in Switzerland, and I always look at tournaments and think that’s a tournament I can win, that’s a tournament I can win.
“Form is good. I just have to keep on doing the same thing and stay patient and positive.”
Renaissance a fitting venue – and stellar field can ‘hook’ Scots kids on golf
The Scottish Open has once again attracted a stellar field, with four-time European Tour winner Ramsay taking pride in how the event has grown.
He added: “It’s cool to have such a good field.
“Obviously I’m biased about Renaissance, being a member here. In general, I love it here and it showcases Scotland.
“I think the big thing for me is it gives people the chance to see the best players in the world, and seeing them close-up. There’s a lot of guys on TV all the time, but when you see it close-up, it’s a game-changer.
“When I was a little kid, I remember going to Gleneagles, Dunhill, seeing the best players in the world play. It’s pretty cool and it’s one of those things that I think can hook guys, hook kids on to the game. It does make a difference.”
