Richie Ramsay hails deft touch of his coach Ian Rae as he heads for Sun City

Richie Ramsay is aiming to qualify for Dubai

Capital-based golfer Richie Ramsay reckons one of the longest partnerships in Scottish golf has been the key to his successful European Tour career.

Ramsay has won three times on the circuit, amassed earnings of close to £7 million and is heading into his 12th season on the trot as a card holder in 2020.

“I have been lucky with the team around me, especially Ian Rae,” he said of his coach, the pair having joined forces when Ramsay. “Being on the tour for so long is one of the things I’m most proud of and, without him, I wouldn’t have done that.

“We have always tried to get a little bit better but not to the point where I can’t just go out and play golf. Ian has always been good at working with the little margins of improvement. He’s been the key cog to make things work and tick over.

“He’s there for guidance not just technical advice; what’s the best way to practise, how to deal with family, that kind of stuff.”

Ramsay heads into this week’s Nedbank Challenge at Sun City in South Africa needing a high finish in his bid to move on to Dubai for the season-ending DP World Tour Championship next week.

His sits 58th in the Race to Dubai and needs to climb into the top 50 on Sunday night to take his 2019 all the way to the finishing line.

“These last events you have to aim high and miss high,” said Ramsay, who is joined in the Sun City field by Bob MacIntyre (13th) and Scott Jamieson (65th).

“You have to aim high to win. If you think about being happy with 30th then there’s a good chance you’ll finish 30th.”