THE value of winning in golf was never better illustrated yesterday when Richie Ramsay's first victory as a professional on the Challenge Tour at the weekend elevated the Scot to 208th in the world rankings, up 113 places.
Among Scotland's golfers, only Alastair Forsyth, 84th, and Colin Montgomerie, 88th, are now ranked higher than the former US Amateur champion. Paul Lawrie, 251st, Simon Yates, 252nd, Martin Laird, 266th, Gary Orr, 277th, Marc Warren, 282nd, and Steph
en Gallacher, 302nd, who compete on the European, Asian or PGA Tours, are all below Ramsay.
The Aberdonian tasted success for the first time in the paid ranks at the Vodafone Challenge in Germany on Sunday when he defeated compatriot George Murray by a stroke to collect a cheque for 22,400. Ramsay, 25, who dropped three strokes over the opening five holes, fought back with five birdies and an eagle to post a winning total of 16 under par.
Although he'd registered four previous top ten finishes on the Challenge Tour this season, Ramsay was delighted to savour this success. "It's my first win as a professional after years and years of hard work," he said. "I talked to Andrew Coltart and he told me to keep believing in myself. I kept that in mind when I bogeyed three of the first five."
Ramsay's win came while 36 of the top players on the Challenge Tour were competing in a limited field event in Geneva. Steven O'Hara, who was fourth in Switzerland, rose to seventh in the standings while Ramsay leapt to 14th in the chase for the 20 European Tour cards available for 2009.
Mark Booker, Ramsay's manager at IMG, confirmed the Aberdonian hadn't sought a spot in the field for the Johnnie Walker on the main tour at Gleneagles next week. "Richie didn't want to get caught between two stools and his aim is to finish as high up the Order of Merit on the Challenge Tour as he can," said Booker.
