HSBC title would make a perfect hat-trick for Richie Ramsay

Richie Ramsay carded the day's best score at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Wife Angela is due to give birth to a girl, the couple’s first child, next month before they move from their current place in Morningside to a new family home elsewhere in the city.

“I’m excited about becoming a father and, though I am not sure if it will change me as a golfer, one thing for certain is that I will have to change as a person,” said Ramsay, smiling.

“I am going to have to be more focused on what I am doing and also better focused but then it’s going to be neat going home to be with the family.

“Having kids is something Angela and I have wanted to do for a while and we are moving to a new house in April. I’d rather not say exactly where it is, but it’s a short distance from the city centre and I’ll also have a golf club within walking distance, which will be nice.”

The 32-year-old was speaking after he had carded a six-under-par 66 – the day’s best score – to move into contention at the halfway stage in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship. With the second round to be completed this morning after play was delayed due to mist, Ramsay was sitting on five-under, five shots behind the clubhouse leader Andy Sullivan from England.

Despite managing an eight-shot improvement on day one with his 73, Stephen Gallacher made an early exit and vowed to work hard to get himself ready for next week’s Qatar Masters and then the Dubai Desert Classic the week after that. “It was better today, but there is still room for improvement,” he said.