Richie Ramsay leads at halfway

in Challenge of Ireland

FROM STEVE TODD, Challenge Tour Press Officer
Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay bounced back from injury and the worst putting display of his professional career to lead Richard Bland and home favourite Colm Moriarty by one stroke at the halfway mark of the Challenge of Ireland presented by Glasson.
Ramsay went back to his native Granite City to iron out his problematic putting after taking 38 putts in his second round en route to missing the cut in Wales last week – a performance on the greens that he admitted was a career low point.
That came in only his second event back after a frustrating four week lay- off, caused by a rib injury suffered playing football, which saw him slip down the top 20 to 39th in the European Challenge Tour Rankings.
Ramsay said his putting was much improved, if still far from perfect, as he carded a two under par round of 70 at Glasson Golf Hotel and Country Club, Athlone to go into the weekend leading a tournament at this stage for the first time, on eight under par.
The 25 year old former US amateur champion carded six birdies and two bogeys, finishing with back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17 before dropping a shot on the last.
He said: “I putted well today but the longest putt I’ve holed all week has been about 12ft. My irons have been really good and my driving has been consistent.
“I played great in Wales last week but couldn’t buy a putt. I hit 38 putts in the second round which is a professional highest total for me. But I went back to Aberdeen and spent some time on it and just got more natural with it. It has paid off.
“I was out for four weeks the week before the Scottish Challenge. I was getting some good momentum with three top 10 finishes and I was ready to go. It was a tough time as you can’t do much.
“I was around 20th in the Rankings when I got injured. It’s been very frustrating as you watch yourself drop down the Rankings and you can’t do anything about it. I know from last year when I turned pro and played about eight events and finished 30th that if I can play as well this year I can push on.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
Par 144 (2 x 72)
136 R Ramsay (Sco) 66 70.
137 C Moriarty (Irl) 67 70; R Bland (Eng) 68 69;
139 C Lee (Sco) 67 72; M McDermott (Irl) 64 75; T Cruz (Por) 67 72;
140 D Wardrop (Eng) 68 72; A Gee (Eng) 67 73; S Jeppesen (Swe) 67 73; E Goya (Arg) 65 75; G Shaw (Nir) (am) 69 71, D Higgins (Irl) 66 74.
141 M Haastrup (Den) 69 72; W Besseling (Ned) 67 74; C Del Moral (Esp) 70 71; J Ruebotham (Eng) 67 74; T Milford (Eng) 69 72; D Drysdale (Sco) 67 74;
142 M Zions (Aus) 70 72; A Bernadet (Fra) 69 73; I Van Weerelt (Ned) 70 72; D Park (Wal) 71 71; D Carter (Eng) 74 68; M Smith (Eng) 70 72; A Tampion (Aus) 71 71; R Coles (Eng) 68 74; J Kehoe (Irl) 71 71.
143 P O'Keeffe (Irl) 72 71; S Henderson (Sco) 68 75; A Butterfield (Eng) 69 74; M Higley (Eng) 71 72; R De Sousa (Sui) 69 74; M Tullo (Chi) 72 71; A Snobeck (Fra) 69 74; G Maybin (Nir) 70 73; C Smith (Wal) 72 71; P Gustafsson (Swe) 75 68; D Marmion (Eng) 72 71; A McArthur (Sco) 72 71.
144 L Gagli (Ita) 72 72; R Kakko (Fin) 73 71; S Davis (Eng) 67 77; S Thornton (Irl) 71 73; K Sullivan (Wal) 72 72; G Lockerbie (Eng) 69 75; A Rocha (Bra) 70 74; T Dykes (Wal) 70 74; R McEvoy (Eng) 71 73; L James (Eng) 71 73; R Rock (Eng) 73 71; S Juul (Den) 74 70; O David (Fra) 71 73; D Horsey (Eng) 69 75; B Evans (Eng) 71 73; I Garbutt (Eng) 74 70;
145 G Murray (Sco) 71 74; P Nilbrink (Nor) 72 73; R Steiner (Aut) 72 73; M King (Eng) 72 73; B Miarka (Ger) 72 73; B McCarroll (Irl) 74 71; R Davies (Wal) 70 75; J Blixt (Swe) 70 75; J Clément (Sui) 71 74; M Pilkington (Wal) 71 74; E Ramsay (Sco) 72 73; A Willey (Eng) 72 73; G Bowden (Irl) 72 73; G Davies (Eng) 70 75; B Grace (RSA) 71 74; P Streeter (Eng) 72 73.
MISSED THE CUT
146 P Dwyer (Eng) 70 76; G Molteni (Ita) 68 78; R Cabrera Bello (Esp) 70 76; M O'Sullivan (Irl) 75 71; P Relecom (Bel) 72 74; S O'Hara (Sco) 75 71; J Wahlqvist (Swe) 75 71; D Sugrue (Irl) 76 70; P McDonald (Irl) 69 77; M Hoey (Nir) 71 75; L Bond (Wal) 74 72; J Little (Eng) 72 74.
147 G Hutcheon (Sco) 71 76; J Mellor (Eng) 71 76; S Saavedra (Arg) 74 73; T Remkes (Ned) 74 73; D De Vooght (Bel) 73 74; T Ferreira (RSA) 72 75;
148 M Campbell (Irl) 75 73; A Marshall (Eng) 72 76; J Sjoholm (Swe) 71 77; C Hanson (Eng) 75 73; B Mason (Eng) 75 73; C Cardeza (Arg) 74 74; M Soffietti (Ita) 75 73; D Ulrich (Sui) 75 73; C Reimbold (Ger) 73 75; M Ruiz (Par) 73 75; A Bruschi (Ita) 70 78; E Saltman (Sco) 72 76; S Mason (Eng) 72 76; E Dominguez (Arg) 73 75; M Eliasson (Swe) 73 75; R Treis (Ger) 72 76;
149 S Robinson (Eng) 75 74; M Bliss (Can) 72 77; T Karjalainen (Fin) 72 77; T Dier (Ger) 73 76; C Brazillier (Fra) 75 74; C Gane (Eng) 74 75; B McElhinney (Irl) 74 75; L Saltman (Sco) 74 75; T Rice (Irl) 73 76; M Crespi (Ita) 74 75.
150 M Cort (Eng) 73 77; G Robinson (Irl) 75 75; E Morton (Eng) 73 77; S Delagrange (Fra) 73 77; A Högberg (Swe) 71 79; J Morgan (Eng) 75 75; M McGeady (Irl) 73 77; S Benson (Eng) 76 74.
151 A Pestell (Wal) 77 74; G Emerson (Eng) 78 73; N Fox (Irl) 72 79; J Wade (Aus) 75 76; E Rush (Eng) 72 79; S Grant (Irl) 76 75; I Urquizu (Esp) 75 76; M Owens (Irl) 76 75; P Kaensche (Nor) 75 76; J Morrison (Eng) 77 74; S Browne (Irl) 74 77;
152 J Hepworth (Eng) 74 78; S Ottosen (Den) 73 79; M Staunton (Irl) 73 79; P Dooley (Irl) 77 75; I Ellis (Eng) 75 77; R Kilpatrick (Nir) 75 77;
153 G Clark (Eng) 75 78; B Lecuona (Fra) 74 79; N Walker (Eng) 75 78; M Murphy (Irl) 72 81;
154 W O'Callaghan (Ire) 72 82;
155 O Whiteley (Eng) 78 77;
156 G Clark (Eng) 77 79; C McNamara (Irl) 78 78;
157 P Bronson (USA) 77 80;
158 G Madden (Irl) 80 78;
159 P Williamson (Irl) 77 82;
163 K McGrath (Ire) 79 84; R Guillard (Fra) 81 82;