ERIC RAMSAY NEEDS ONE MORE VERY

GOOD ROUND TO MAKE PRO

BREAKTHROUGH IN KAZAKHSTAN

From Michael Gibbons.

Challenge Tour Press Officer

Carnoustie’s Eric Ramsay set up the biggest day of his professional career after a third round of two under par 70 took him into third place going into the final day of the Kazakhstan Open.
The 28 year old, a past winner of the Australian open amateur championship, is just two shots behind leader Ross McGowan of England on eight under par at the €330,000 European Challenge Tour event and now stands on the verge of a maiden professional victory that would secure him a place on The European Tour.
The Scot, pictured right, is currently 105th on the Challenge Tour Rankings, but with the winner in Kazakhstan picking up the largest first prize in the tour’s history of €52,800, he can barge his way into the coveted top 20 to win a place on The European Tour.
“I’m playing well and haven’t had a bogey for the last two rounds so hopefully I can take that into the final round and do well,” said Ramsay. “It would obviously be huge for me to win this event but I am trying not to think too much about that just now.”
While Ramsay moved up the leaderboard, Kirkcaldy’s Peter Whiteford endured a disappointing third round of three over 75 to fall back to three under for the tournament. George Murray is the next best Scot in the field on two under after a 71, while Scott Henderson and Richie Ramsay lie on one under after respective scores of 73 and 72.

England’s Ross McGowan, attempting to win his third Challenge Tour event of the season, fired a fine, five-under-par third round of 67 to move into the lead.

Victory for McGowan would make the 28 year old the first player to win instant and automatic promotion to the European Tour by winning three tournaments in the same season as well as propel him to the top of the Challenge Tour Rankings (depending on current No. 1 Felipe Aguilar’s finish in Kazakhstan) with just five events remaining on the 2007 Schedule.
McGowan is fully aware of his situation, but he will have to produce a similar performance to that of his third round to hold off the challenge of second placed Leif Westerberg, who is one behind McGowan on nine under par, with Eric Ramsay in third place on eight under.
“You try not to think about winning, but I have to say that my thoughts did turn to that when I was about halfway through the round today and saw that I was at the top of the leaderboard,” said McGowan.
“Obviously it would amazing to win for the third time. It would cap a great season for me and would be a great achievement. But I still have to do it tomorrow. I’ll have to play well again and hope that no-one gets on a really good run but that’s not something I can have any control over. I just have to look after myself and hope it’s good enough.”
McGowan has already began preparing to join The European Tour. He recently changed his putting grip from the claw grip to a left hand below right grip after consulting putting coach Paul Hurrian.
“I just thought that this was a good time to make changes like that,” said McGowan. “I am pretty sure that I will be on The European Tour next season so I have a bit of time to get used to the new grip.
“It feels a bit strange at the moment and I have had a couple of three putts this week but I think that’s more down to me than the grip!”
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS

Par 216 (3 x 72)
206 Ross McGowan (Eng) 68 71 67.
207 Leif Westerberg (Swe) 64 71 72.
208 Eric Ramsay (Sco) 70 68 70.
210 Richard Treis (Ger) 68 71 71, Raphaël Eyraud (Fra) 69 70 71, Chris Gane (Eng) 72 68 70.
211 Hernan Rey (Arg) 68 68 75.
212 Andrew Butterfield (Eng) 70 72 70, Jamie Donaldson (Wal) 70 71 71, Fredrik Widmark (Swe) 68 73 71, Tim Dykes (Wal) 69 71 72, Pontus Ericsson (Swe) 68 69 75.
213 Paul Waring (Eng) 79 65 69, Gareth Wright (Wal) 70 72 71, Alvaro Salto (Esp) 71 73 69, Martin Wiegele (Aut) 72 73 68, Peter Whiteford (Sco) 67 71 75.
214 Paul Dwyer (Eng) 67 74 73, Robert Coles (Eng) 72 72 70, John E Morgan (Eng) 73 67 74, Magnus Persson (Swe) 74 71 69, George Murray (Sco) 74 69 71.
215 Richie Ramsay (Sco) 74 69 72, Jan-Are Larsen (Nor) 73 69 73, Fabrizio Zanotti (Par) 68 74 73, Scott Henderson (Sco) 73 69 73, Mikael Lundberg (Swe) 72 71 72 ;Joost Luiten (Ned) 75 70 70, Klas Eriksson (Swe) 77 68 70, Michael Lorenzo-Vera (Fra) 70 70 75.
216 Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel) 74 71 71, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe) 71 71 74, Carlos Del Moral (Esp) 75 68 73, Fredrik Ohlsson (Swe) 74 71 71.
217 Sébastien Delagrange (Fra) 75 70 72, Pablo Del Grosso (Arg) 71 69 77, Iain Pyman (Eng) 72 71 74, Jeppe Huldahl (Den) 74 71 72, Pablo Larrazabal (Esp) 72 72 73, Gareth Paddison (Nzl) 71 73 73, John Mellor (Eng) 74 70 73,Phil Worthington (Eng) 76 69 72, Roope Kakko (Fin) 68 76 73.
218 Gustavo Acosta (Arg) 72 72 74, Anthony Snobeck (Fra) 70 72 76, Benoit Teilleria (Fra) 72 69 77.
219 Carlos Cardeza (Arg) 72 67 80, Juan Abbate (Arg) 73 71 75, Alvaro Velasco (Esp) 71 72 76, Jamie Little (Eng) 71 71 77, Mikko Korhonen (Fin) 76 69 74, Stuart Manley (Wal) 72 72 75, André Bossert (Sui) 74 71 74.
220 Kieran Staunton (Eng) 72 73 75.
221 Philip Golding (Eng) 70 74 77, Stuart Davis (Eng) 73 69 79, Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 70 75 76.
222 Adam Gee (Eng) 76 69 77, Martin Maritz (Rsa) 73 71 78.
224 Matthew Richardson (Eng) 75 70 79.
228 Inder Van Weerelt (Ned) 71 74 83.