Dream big - Hazeltine hero Richie Ramsay's message to Scots bidding to emulate his title triumph

It’s been a long time since Hazeltine National in Minnesota hosted the US Amateur Championship. A lifetime, in fact, in the case of one of three Scottish players among 312 hopefuls in the event’s 124th edition, which gets underway on Monday.

“The year I was born,” said Connor Graham of the 2006 edition, which produced a tartan triumph as Richie Ramsay joined Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in getting his hands on the trophy. “So, unfortunately, I don’t know much about that!”

Stuart Graham, Connor’s dad, remembers it well, though, and has enlightened the Blairgowrie teenager about Ramsay pulling off one of the greatest triumphs in the history of Scottish golf as he capped a sensational performance, having defeated both Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson en route to the final, by beating American John Kelly by 4&2 in the title decider to become the first player from the sport’s cradle since 1898 to achieve the feat.

Nairn's Calum Scott, left, and Blairgowrie teenager Connor Graham pictured during last year's Walker Cup at St Andrews. Picture: The R&A

“My dad knows Richie and he did mention that a few weeks ago, saying it was an amazing achievement,” added Graham as he prepared to fly the Saltire in this year’s USGA-run event along with 152nd Open Silver Medal winner Calum Scott from Nairn and California-based Niall Shiels Donegan.

Nicklaus was a two-time winner, Mickelson was crowned as champion in 1990 while Woods recorded a hat-trick of victories in the tournament, which has since been won by Matthew Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland. Nick Dunlap landed the title 12 months ago before quickly becoming a double PGA Tour champion, including a breakthrough success as an amateur.

It’s arguably the toughest prize to win in the amateur game, but, as Ramsay proved and also Italian Edoardo Molinari when he claimed the crown a year earlier at Merion, every single player teeing up in the tournament can dare to dream big.

“It’s obviously a huge event for the boys and I’d argue that it’s probably the biggest event to win as an amateur as regards who watches, field strength and where it can take you,” said Ramsay, who also happened to meet his future wife Angela the week he came out on top and they were the married at Hazeltine in 2012.

Richie Ramsay shows off the trophy after winning the 2006 US Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Picture: Scott A. Miller/Golfweek via Getty Images.

“As a major venue (Tony Jacklin won the US Open there in 1970 before Payne Stewart emulated him 21 years later), Hazeltine is a really good test and they take pride in setting it up to be quite difficult.

“The US Amateur Championship is a great tournament and the people at Hazeltine have done a great job preparing for this event. I was out there last year and did some videos and stuff with them. They take a lot of pride in hosting USGA events and, as I know, they look after the champions there.”

For Graham, it’s his first crack at this title and comes as he prepares to embark on a college career in the US, where he is set to join Scott, one of his GB&I team-mates in last year’s Walker Cup at St Andrews, at Texas Tech.

“I’m very much looking forward to competing in my first US Amateur,” said the 2022 Junior Open champion who was unbeaten in helping Europe win the Junior Ryder Cup in Rome last year. “I’ve only been to America once before and that was five years ago, when I played in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at Pinehurst. I’ve heard that Hazeltine is a great course and, as always, I’ll be giving it my best shot.”

Negotiating two stroke-play rounds - one on Hazeltine National and the other at Chaska Town - is the first hurdle to be cleared, with Graham having passed that same test with flying colours when he was the leading qualifier in the Amateur Championship at Ballyliffin earlier in the year. He then lost in the first round of the match-play phase and is aiming to stick around a lot longer in this assignment. “I am hoping the weather will be slightly better than we got that week,” he said, “as it was cold, wet and very windy.”

While both Graham and Scott secured exemptions as Walker Cup players, Shiels Donegan had to do it the hard way to be teeing up next week. It was mission accomplished, though, and in some style, too, as he shot a 64 at Bend Golf Club in Oregon to win a qualifier by four shots.

“It’s a huge opportunity for a big win and I wish the guys all the best,” added Ramsay, who will be among those keeping an eye on the tournament from afar. “You have to get through qualifying first and you’ve got the Town course as well which is definitely scoreable (Billy Horschel shot a 60 in 2006), but it’s a kind of fiddly track and one that you can slip up on.

“It’s going to be tough, but an accomplishment as big as winning the US Amateur is never going to be easy, so embrace it and, with Calum in particular standing out after having a very consistent summer that was topped off by winning the Silver Medal, there’s no reason why we can’t have another Scottish winner.”