RICHIE RAMSAY THE GOLFING ROBOT

ABERDONIAN'S QUALITY DISPLAY IN 36-HOLE FINAL
OF UNITED STATES AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

By David Shefter, USGA
From the USGA website: www.usga.org

Chaska, Minn. – Rupert Fisher, the father of 17-year-old wunderkind Oliver Fisher, affectionately gave Richie Ramsay the nickname of “Rambo” prior to the start of the 2006 U.S. Amateur championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Fisher, of England, and the Scottish-born Ramsay have become good friends since they competed on the 2005 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side at Chicago Golf Club last summer.
And, because Ramsay didn’t plan to shave during the championship – just like 2005 champion Edoardo Molinari of Italy – Rupert thought the moniker was appropriate for the rugged-looking 23-year-old from Aberdeen.
Perhaps Mr. Roboto would have been more appropriate. Especially the way Ramsay performed in Sunday’s 36-hole championship match against 21-year-old John Kelly of St. Louis.
Iron Byron, the USGA’s mechanical robot who used to be the machine for making sure balls conformed to the Rules of Golf, might have struggled to beat Ramsay on this day.
Just how flawless was his ball-striking? He hit a remarkable 30 of 34 greens in regulation in his 4-and-2 victory. The only green he missed in the afternoon round came at the devilish 246-yard, par-3 13th and the ball stopped inches off the putting surface in the fringe. Ramsay was the poster boy on how to play a USGA set-up: fairways and greens. Oh, and he managed to hole a few putts along the way.
"I can see why he is a Walker Cupper," said Kelly, who consistently out-drove his more-experienced opponent. "He doesn’t do a whole lot wrong. Everything’s just good about that guy’s game."
Unlike the unheralded Kelly, Ramsay did come to Hazeltine with some lofty credentials. His previous titles included the 2004 Scottish Open Stroke Play and 2005 Irish Amateur Stroke Play. He also led Scotland to the European Under-21 Team Championship, holing a critical 25-foot putt at the 18th green to win his match, 1 up, and a victory over rival England. That kind of success led to his selection to the Walker Cup side, which was only backed up with his effort in Minnesota the past week.
Countless hours of practice and preparation with Scottish National Team Coach Ian Rae along with mental work with sports psychologist Robert Cox gave Ramsay the necessary ammunition to win this championship.
And, an unexpected gift from American didn’t hurt, either. A few years ago, Ramsay caddied for Dick Gilbert at his home club, Royal Aberdeen. Ramsay often caddies while at home to make a few extra pounds. Gilbert was from New York City and he had a putter that Ramsay fancied. When Gilbert completed his round, he told Ramsay to contact him if he needed anything. Ramsay had putted a few times with the implement and loved it. He told Gilbert he was searching for a new putter because his current one was not working well.
Gilbert said, "I tell you what, I’ll send you one over." Being a student (University of Stirling), Ramsay didn’t have a lot of money. "If you send me one over that would be fantastic," he told Gilbert, "but if not, thanks very much for the offer."
Two weeks later, a package arrived. It was the putter from Gilbert. And it was the exact same one Ramsay used this week at Hazeltine, where he had brilliant pace on the slick greens all week. His lone miscue in the final came at the 17th in the morning 18 when his 50-foot downhill birdie putt rolled off the green, leading to a bogey and loss of the hole.
"All of these little things make a big difference to me," said Ramsay. "It’s people like Dick who went out of their way the last two or three years that’s helped me with a lot of performances," said an appreciative Ramsay.
Ramsay also has an appreciation for what the Scottish Golf Union has done over the past few years to assist young and talented players. Lloyd Saltman (2005 Walker Cupper), Scott Jamison and George Murray are all top-flight national-caliber players (Saltman played the Amateur), while 2001 Walker Cuppers Steven O’Hara and Marc Warren are fledgling talents on the European Tour.
Of course, Colin Montgomerie is one of Scotland’s biggest stars, even though he’s devoid of a major championship. And, good friend Paul Lawrie won the British Open the last time it was held at next year’s site, Carnoustie, in 1999.
"You’ve got to realize that Scotland’s not a massive country," said Ramsay. "They are starting to have high-level amateurs move into the pro ranks and there’s better support for them. These guys … are fantastic golfers. They can do the business if someone gives them the chance. That’s what the Scottish Golf Union has been good at the last few years. They take care of everything. They just say, ‘Go out there, play golf and do your best.’
"I’m sure in the next four or five years, the names that I mentioned will become house-hold and the guys who are doing well … will push on."
Ramsay didn’t mention himself in that conversation. As a marketing major, he’s all for promotion himself – he was wearing a popular equipment manufacturer’s hat this week – but he won’t boast without producing results. He doesn’t want hype without substance.
When a reporter mentioned being a likely top candidate for the 2007 Walker Cup Match at Royal County Down, Ramsay downplayed it. He won’t allow this Amateur title to be the sole deciding factor for his inclusion on the 10-man squad. At the ’05 Walker Cup, Ramsay was left out of the eight singles matches both days, going 1-1 in foursomes (alternate shot) play in the narrow one-point loss to the USA.
Playing well in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open wouldn’t hurt, either.
"I’ve still got to play really well [over the next 12 months]," said Ramsay. "I’ve got to impress the selectors, and I go out there with the intention of pushing myself in their minds, whether I’ll get in or whether I’m a maybe. I want to be one of the first names on that team sheet through good golf, so they turn around and say, look what he’s done this year, he was first, he was second; he was top-10 here, there, everywhere. That’s all I can do."
With a U.S. Amateur title on the résumé, his bid is off to a pretty good start.
David Shefter is a USGA staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.