RAMSAY THIRD TO RYDER
CUP TEAM, CLARKE IN
WRITERS' TROPHY POLL

Walker Cup player Richie Ramsay, winner of the United States amateur championship this year, finished a close third in the Association of Golf Writers' Trophy poll for 2006.
The annual vote among the writers is to seek their opinion as to which individual or team has done the most for the standing of European golf, amateur or professional, over the past 12 months.
Ian Woosnam expressed his delight after Europe's Ryder Cup team won the Golf Writers' Trophy.
Woosnam captained Europe to a third successive victory over the Americans at the K Club as the team matched their record nine-point winning margin from two years ago.
Darren Clarke, whose courageous performance just weeks after losing his wife, Heather, to cancer was the highlight of an emotional week in Ireland, was the runner-up in the annual poll.
After the Ryder Cup team missed out at the BBC Sports awards last week, Woosnam was particularly pleased to win the Golf Writers' Trophy.
BBC AWARDS FIASCO
"At last!" said the Welshman. "Thank God, we've won a prize after that BBC fiasco."I am very honoured, both for myself and on behalf of the players," he added. "It was an unbelievable performance. To get 18.5 points, to equal the record, and also to win all five series of play for the first time ever, is the stuff of dreams.
"It was a very special week. It was the best week of my life without question, very hard but the best. I can't say enough about my wonderful players and the way they played.
"Clarke won three matches out of three at the K Club despite having played only one tournament in the previous two months.
"I am very grateful for all the recognition I have received and I would especially like to thank the golf writers for their support, not just this year, but throughout my career," said the Northern Irishman.
"But for the Ryder Cup team to win this trophy is the absolutely the right result. To win as we did was a stunning performance and Woosie was fantastic as our captain. We had 12 players all playing to their best and I was just proud to play my part.
"It is rare for an amateur golfer to figure in the Association of Golf Writers' annual voting so for Royal Aberdeen member and Stirling student Ramsay, pictured above, to finish third is quite an achievement. So, of course, was his capture of the United States amateur championship, a title which has earned him the No 1 world amateur ranking over the weeks and months since his memorable triumph at Hazeltine