KirkwoodGolf: RICHIE RAMSAY IN SEMI-FINALS

Friday, August 25, 2006

RICHIE RAMSAY IN SEMI-FINALS

ABERDONIAN CONTINUES GREAT RUN IN
UNITED STATES AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Aberdonian Richie Ramsay is through to the semi-finals of the United States amateur golf championship – but his fellow Walker Cup player Oliver Fisher was beaten in his quarter-final over the tough Hazeltine National course in Chaska, Minnesota, where Tony Jacklin won the 1970 US Open.
Ramsay, bidding to become the first Scot to win the prestigious title since Findlay Douglas from St Andrews in 1898, beat 17-year-old Rickie Fowler from California at the 21st hole in a quarter-final full of late drama.
Ramsay had gone three up with a par at the 13th before his opponent squared the match with birdies at the 14th and 16th and winning the 17th where Richie's young caddie inadvertently touched the line of the Scot's putt, leading to Ramsay forfeiting the hole.
Stirling University student Richie held his nerve and won the third extra hole with a birdie for the match. He was two under par at the finish.
Fowler had beaten former British boys champion Pablo Martin from Spain in his quarter-final.
Fisher lost by 4 and 3 to Canadian Ryan Yip who won the first four holes and was four under par for the holes played.
Ramsay, who was 23 on June 15, is the oldest of the four semi-finalists.
He will play Webb Simpson, only just turned 21, from Raleigh, North Carolina.
The other semi-final is between two 21-year-olds, Yip and American John Kelly.