Richie Ramsay has his say on home hopes at the Scottish Open and why it's like a major to him

Aberdonian reserves special praise for Scottish ‘stalwart’ Bob MacIntyre

Richie Ramsay, who is among 15 home players in the field for this week's Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, has produced some consistent displays since the European Tour restarted in late July with the Betfred British Masters at Close House. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Richie Ramsay reckons a home player can be in the mix down the back stretch in the final round of this week's Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open. He'd love it to be him in an event he classes as a "major", but the Aberdonian is equally optimistic about the hopes of his compatriots in a 15-strong Scottish contingent at The Renaissance Club in East Lothian.

"I'd be really shocked if there wasn't someone [Scottish] up there on Sunday," said Ramsay as he finalised his preparations for the $7 million Rolex Series event, which starts on Thursday. "There's a real depth and also great diversity. From Paul Lawrie and Stephen Gallacher down to Bob MacIntyre and Ewen Ferguson, you are talking about a quarter of a century in terms of an age gap and that's really good to see.

"That's what we were lacking, those guys coming through, and now there's a huge amount of them. They are trying to push each other and they are also pushing us older guys, which is great. They are bringing good energy because it's great to see the Saltire up there on leaderboards."

Colin Montgomerie is the only home player to get his name on the Scottish Open roll of honour, landing the title when it was known as the Standard Life Loch Lomond in 1999. Marc Warren has come the closest since then when leading with a few holes to play at Castle Stuart in 2012, with Ramsay also getting himself in the mix at the same venue four years later.

"Bob [MacIntyre] is probably our stalwart at the moment, but you are looking for a little bit of help from some of us to back that up and be in the mix," added the 37-year-old, a three-time winner on the European Tour. "Everyone wants to be on a leaderboard and, ultimately, win. That's why you work. That's why you grind. That's why you want to have those butterflies being in contention.

"It took me a while to realise that you shouldn't always get nervous. You need to embrace that time and sometimes at the start of your career, you maybe take it for granted a bit that you are going to be in contention. But, when you lose that feeling for a bit, you can't wait for the moment to come back and really enjoy it when it does.

"I want to remember those times I came down the back nine in the Scottish Open with a chance to win. Maybe you don't always win, but it is so much fun for me when you feel that pressure on a back nine on Sunday. This week would be no better for that to happen. I would enjoy that."

Usually held in July the week before the Open Championship, the 2020 edition of the Scottish Open was rescheduled for this week due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning some of the world's top players are playing for big money on the East Lothian coast as opposed to doing that at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews at this time of the year in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

"For us, it's a major, there is no doubt about it," said Ramsay of the Scottish Open. "There are certain tournaments you dream of winning and the Scottish Open and the Dunhill are right up there for me. I was brought up going to watch the Scottish Open at Gleneagles. I think 1992 was the one of the first years I went there and I remember getting the programme, having lunch, the lot.

"I think it was Jesper Parnevik I was watching and it's always been an event I’ve enjoyed over the years. It's the level of the course and the level of the field that was always so strong. You want to win against the best. You want to win on the biggest stages. The Scottish Open is arguably one of our biggest tournaments on the European Tour. For a Scottish player, it's probably bigger than anything else just because it's on home soil.

“Winning this event would be a career-defining thing and it would always be something that people would remember and, for me, that's a different level. You are remembered in a different way. It would be a very cool thing to have on the CV. I've not had that winning feeling for a while and it would be good to have that, for sure."

Ramsay, who is attached to The Renaissance Club, has played in seven of the 10 full events that have been held since the European Tour restarted in late July, missing the cut just once. He's carded 15 sub-par rounds and, though pleased with most aspects of his game, is hoping that this can be the week everything clicks into place.

"It was very consistent and very steady," he said of his encouraging run of form. "Nothing really up and nothing really down. I probably struggled with the putter a little bit. Off the tee, my ball striking is normally pretty consistent and I think that showed in my scores. I just haven't been able to convert that so far into pure scoring.

"I feel like I have taken that on board and tried to play a bit more aggressively. As much as though it would play on your mind a little bit, a missed cut then another missed cut then a fourth would probably be better than making all the cuts and finishing inside the top 10. You really need to go out with all guns blazing a bit."

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