Talk about prolonging the agony. When you’re scrambling to save your European Tour card, a series of weather delays and a Monday finish for the final regular event of the season is broadly equivalent to being put on a medieval rack.
The Spanish inquisition that was the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama finally finished yesterday and Richie Ramsay’s torture was over as he held firm to safeguard his place at the top table. A battling share of 11th left him in 115th place on the Race to Dubai, just a couple of spots inside the safety zone of the leading 116.
It was the kind of close shave old Victor Kiam used to promote but one Ramsay doesn’t fancy repeating. “It’s a bit easier trying to win a tournament,” gasped the Aberdonian of a tense, testing closing few holes which had spilled over from Sunday’s suspension.
“I knew I was close on Sunday and the rankings predictor had me on the bubble. I knew if I kept that going I’d be ok. I knew how others in a similar position would have been feeling as I was feeling the same thing. It’s not nice. But I felt I had an advantage. Valderrama is a real ball striker’s course and that is at the core of my game.
“I did that well. I managed to pick up a birdie and then play smartly coming home. You feel the pressure but I controlled my emotions well and I believed I could do it. I felt I was on a roll on Sunday before the suspension and in an ideal world we wouldn’t have stopped. That just prolonged everything and it tests all your abilities.
“In times of adversity, that’s when you build character and you learn about yourself and I think I learned a lot about myself over the last few days.”
Ramsay, a three-time European Tour winner who had never finished lower than 70th on the circuit’s money list over the last decade, was in uncharted territory as he scrambled for survival.
A par putt of three-feet on the final hole was certainly not the longest of his career but, in the circumstances, the hole must have looked as small as a pin prick. “I had a 20-footer, downhill for birdie and I thought ‘just roll it down and if it drops in the cup then great’,” he said.
“But I rolled it about three-feet past the hole. Now, three feet on any green you stand up and just knock that in. But not when your job is on the line. That was a huge putt.
“You’ll never beat the sheer elation of a winning putt but that one was pretty good. I was just proud of the way I played under pressure. In this game you go through a lot of ups and downs. You are tested when you are put into this situation but when you apply yourself and come out the other end you can look back on it fondly.
“All the effort is worthwhile. That’s why you put the hours in, for these big moments. I’d never had to worry about losing my tour card. I’ve always had the luxury of being safe on the order of merit. And it is a luxury. I understand that now.”
Marc Warren, another triple tour champion, joined Ramsay in a share of 11th but the Scot will now have to go through the rigmarole of the qualifying school to regain his card after finishing 131st on the rankings.
“Marc has a huge amount of talent so I’m sure he’ll come out fighting,” said Ramsay of his compatriot’s plight.
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