Richie Ramsay has had his best fortnight of the European Tour season in the Canaries, but the three-time tour winner still feels he’s way behind the pace.
The 37-year-old from Aberdeen has top 25 finishes in both of the two events in the Tour’s mini-swing around the Spanish islands, but he still feels frustrated and further behind than even the margins between him and the two South African winners so far, Garrick Higgo and Dean Burmester.
“Finishing 30th or something, you might as well finish 100th,” said Ramsay. “The way the money works on tour at the moment there’s no advantage in 30th.
“You need to be aggressive and make birdies. Bottom line is I need to win a tournament.”
‘The course set-up doesn’t help me’
Winning in style @BurmyGolf ✍️
A five shot winning margin.#TenerifeOpen | @Workday
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 2, 2021
Ramsay has been top ten in driving accuracy and in greens in regulation these last two weeks, but he’s been struggling putting and the way the courses are set up doesn’t lend to his advantage, he said.
“This one is a frustrating course for me, because my game is driving straight and it doesn’t help me,” he said of the Golf Costa Adeje course, in play for the second week in a row at the Canary Islands Open from Thursday.
“There’s guys I’ve played with last week who hit it off the end of the world and there’s no advantage to being in play.
“They hit it off line and get away with it, they still can get it to the green and make birdie.”
‘I’m 20% and the average is 50%’
However he knows that’s a common occurrence on tour for him, and that he needs to improve on converting the chances he creates.
“If I could putt better from ten feet and in I’d be right in the mix,” he said. “At the moment I’m 20% in that and the average is 50%.
“The whole week was summed up by Sunday, potential, but just not making enough putts. I missed a good few chances Saturday and Sunday.
“The positive is that I’m playing well and I can shoot a score like that at the weekend without putting well. If I start to putt better, I’m in with a chance.”
Ramsay at least has a foundation to build for the upcoming Betfred British Masters at the Belfry next week.
“That’s a big one,” he said. “This coming week I just need to read the greens better, and maybe be more aggressive into the greens. I know the lines and the yardages now.
“Three-under was maybe level par for this place last week. That’s the reality. I need to read greens better and I can win. Maybe there’s a little more to it than that but it’s how I feel.”
Four Scots in the Canaries, five in South Africa
There are three other Scots in the field for this week’s event. Calum Hill, 26th on the Race to Dubai, Connor Syme (53rd) and Grant Forrest (96th) are all in attendance.
Meanwhile at the Dimension Data Pro-Am in South Africa on the Challenge Tour this week, Scots Craig Howie, Doug McGuigan, Ewen Ferguson, Bradley Neil of Blairgowrie and Perth’s Daniel Young are in the field.
1. ☝️
2. 🆘
3. 😲
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5. 🎯Shots of the week from Tenerife.#TenerifeOpen pic.twitter.com/i0ZhjyyYwo
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 3, 2021
