Ramsay takes it on the chin and bounces back 

to score third European Tour triumph 

Richie Ramsay in playful mood with the distinctive trophy at the Moroccan event. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).

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Aberdeen's Richie Ramsay recovered from dropping four shots in the space of two holes to claim a dramatic one-shot victory at the Trophee Hassan II at Agadir on Morocco's western Atlantic coastline today.
The former US amateur champion  had looked on course for a third European Tour title when he birdied four holes in a row from the third to race clear at Golf du Palais Royal, but after a bogey on the seventh, he duffed two chips at the short eighth en route to a triple bogey 6.
That would have disheartened a lot of players but not this man from the Granite City - and true grit got him back in the pole position. 

A brilliant tee hot to a couple of feet at the 12th started Ramsay's recovery, and he birdied the 13th and 14th as well for a three under par 69 and ten under total.
That left Romain Wattel needing to pick up two shots over the closing two holes – he had chipped in for par on the 15th to keep his hopes alive - but after birdieing the 17th the Frenchman failed to find the 18th green in two and had to settle for second on nine under after a closing 70.

Speaking of his exploits at the eighth, Ramsay, whose victory was worth 250,000 euros (is first payslip of the year), said: “I made six, as simple as that. I just didn’t execute the shot the way I wanted to – hit a poor chip, it came back in the divot, wouldn’t come out, chipped on and two putts – easy six!
“I knew I was still in the mix and I made great putts on nine and ten just to keep the momentum going.
“I stood over the putt on the 12th hole and I just thought my putter feels absolutely great, I could see all the lines.
“I thought ‘just go for it, this is your time’. Pretty much took it by the scruff of the neck the next two holes and the seven iron on the last is probably one of the best shots I’ve ever hit in terms of visualisation and execution, it was just perfect.”

George Coetzee, who had required a win to sneak a place in the Masters Tournament in a fortnight, was part of a six-way tie for third on eight under along with fellow South African Jaco Van Zyl, Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal, Swede Mikael Lundberg, Ireland’s Kevin Phelan and England’s Chris Wood.
And amongst those a shot further back was former Ryder Cup Captain José María Olazábal, whose closing 66 gave him the 150th top-ten finish of his European Tour career.

“I didn’t expect this earlier in the week,” said the Spaniard, who will be at Augusta National next month as a two-time winner of the event.
“The first day I put together a decent score and struggled Friday, then yesterday it all fitted in on the back nine. Today was a bit like yesterday and I was really happy with my score.
“I saw the leaderboard on 18 and knew I had a putt to lead in the clubhouse. It’s nice to have a round like this and a tournament like this for confidence.
“It is a different course at Augusta; it is really long there for me now. It’s much better to have a score like this than not, but I know how tough Augusta is these days.”

Key player quotes

Richie Ramsay – 69 (-10 total)
“It is a great honour to win this dagger. I have a collection of trophies at home in a cabinet. It is nice to look at them and remind me of wins and this will sit pride of place with the US Amateur trophy, and the Omega European Masters and the South African Open. Those are the four that feel special. It’s a great tradition to have this dagger. It is a tournament unlike any other and it is a piece of history. It will be great when we have children to say this is where I went to Morocco and won a dagger.”

Romain Wattel – 70 (-9 total)
“It is always disappointing to finish so close in a tournament but at the same time I’m happy because it was not my best week at all. To be in contention without playing my best is great, and it is fasntastic to be in this position. Unfortunately there was just one shot, or two, missing. I wanted to feel I have done my best even if I couldn’t win. I’ve been struggling the last couple of months so to finish second this week without playing my best is good for me. I’ve shown improvement.”

George Coetzee – 70 (-8 total)
“It all comes down to Sunday and I’ve left a few shots out there today. It was a good performance though so I’m happy with the result. I’ll have a nice long holiday now. I’m a little tired as it has been a long stretch. I would like to have pulled it off but that’s just the way things go. I’ll watch the Masters – you can’t not watch a Major if you aren’t playing, but I’ll be wishing I was there.”
ALL THE FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
278 R Ramsay  (Sco) 72 66 71 69 
279 R Wattel  (Fra) 68 74 67 70
280 K Phelan (Irl) 70 70 70 70, P Larrazábal (Esp) 70 69 73 68, C Wood  (Eng) 67 72 74 67, M Lundberg (Swe) 70 75 66 69, G Coetzee (RSA) 67 72 71 70, J Van Zyl (RSA) 69 71 70 70
281 B Evans  (Eng) 69 70 74 68, R Bland (Eng) 69 70 71 71, J Olazábal (Esp) 69 76 70 66, M Schneider (Ger) 73 69 72 67, W Ormsby (Aus) 71 72 68 70
282 S Kjeldsen (Den) 68 73 69 72, A Wall (Eng) 68 72 72 70, M Foster (Eng) 73 72 71 66
283 P Edberg (Swe) 71 71 71 70, A Marshall (Eng) 71 73 69 70, B Ritthammer (Ger) 71 70 71 71, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 70 71 73 69, D Horsey (Eng) 70 71 69 73, E Pepperell (Eng) 71 74 69 69, S Benson (Eng) 73 68 72 70 
284 J Quesne  (Fra) 70 75 72 67, S Jamieson  (Sco) 74 69 71 70, M Kieffer (Ger) 73 73 68 70 
285 D Howell (Eng) 70 70 77 68, G Bourdy (Fra) 75 71 68 71, E Grillo (Arg) 74 69 67 75, T Lewis (Eng) 69 77 71 68, M Lorenzo-Vera  (Fra) 74 72 70 69, R Green (Aus) 68 70 76 71, B Hebert  (Fra) 75 71 69 70
 286 R Karlsson (Swe) 72 74 68 72, A Saddier (Fra) 65 77 71 73, J Campillo (Esp) 71 69 73 73, J Lagergren (Swe) 72 68 75 71, B An (SKor) 72 71 71 72, R Rock (Eng) 74 72 72 68, O Wilson (Eng) 68 73 73 72, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 69 69 74 74, E De La Riva  (Esp) 68 75 71 72, A McArthur  (Sco) 71 71 67 77, M Lampert (Ger) 68 75 73 70, M Hoey  (Nir) 70 73 76 67
 287 S Kapur (Ind) 72 73 67 75, R Jacquelin (Fra) 70 76 70 71, M Carlsson  (Swe) 73 70 70 74, M Korhonen (Fin) 68 74 71 74
 288 M Orrin (Eng) 70 70 72 76, C Paisley  (Eng) 71 70 72 75, J Walters (RSA) 71 73 71 73, A Johnston (Eng) 72 71 77 68,
 289 P Oriol (Esp) 71 75 69 74
 290 D Drysdale (Sco) 67 73 76 74, L Slattery (Eng) 77 69 76 68, N Fasth (Swe) 71 73 74 72, P Waring  (Eng) 70 74 72 74
 291 O Farr (Wal) 70 68 74 79, F Fritsch  (Ger) 70 72 76 73, M Manassero (Ita) 72 71 72 76
 292 N Elvira  (Esp) 73 72 73 74
 293 C Lloyd (Eng) 76 69 75 73
 294 R Finch  (Eng) 75 71 77 71, M Matsumura (Jpn) 72 74 74 74
 296 E Espana (Fra) 73 70 76 77
 297 K Broberg (Swe) 73 70 74 80, O Fisher  (Eng) 74 71 76 76, R Santos  (Por) 69 72 73 83
 298 J Morrison  (Eng) 72 73 72 81, P Widegren  (Swe) 73 73 69 83
 300 S Hend (Aus) 71 73 84 72

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FINAL TOTALS