Ramsey in front as Irish toil

IRELAND’S challenge failed to ignite in the first round of the Andalucian Masters at Valderrama yesterday as Scotland’s Richie Ramsey jumped into a two-stroke lead with a sparkling six under par 66 in spite of finishing with bogeys at the 17th and 18th.

Ramsey was out in the first match of a day that dawned in lashing rain which relented for the most part before play began. But the course was sodden, preferred lies had to be introduced and the greens were so soft that controlling the spin on their approach shots represented major problems.

Ramsey looked to be headed for a remarkable score when standing eight under after 16 but he bogeyed each of the last two. The 28-year-old from Aberdeen finished two ahead of English Ryder Cup player, Ross Fisher, who was delighted with his score given that he ran up a triple bogey at the eighth, where he drove out of bounds.

Inevitably, Ireland’s hopes rested largely on the shoulders of the holder, Graeme McDowell, who continues to be at odds with his game and had to settle for a two over 73. He dropped three shots on the outward nine as against a birdie at the 7th, the longest par four on the course, before gains at the 10th and 11th returned him to even par.

As he later admitted: “Every time I take a step forward these days, I seem to take another one back.”

Bogeys duly followed at the 14th and 16th and he also had to work to save par at the two final holes.

“I hit too many loose tee shots and that’s the way it’s been for much of the year, I’m simply not in control of my golf ball,” he mused.

“It was windy out there and very wet and soft and the pins were tight. So 73 is not disastrous. I’m not the same guy as I was this time last year. I’m battling my swing big time and while I’m close, I still can’t quite click the switch.”

Peter Lawrie is currently 54th in the order of money and admitted to being extremely keen to quickly copper fasten his place in the top 60 who qualify for the lucrative season-ending Race to Dubai.

“For one thing, I want to be able to book a flight for my father-in-law Bernard Hudson,” he smiled.

“I played lovely out there and my short game was solid even if I did three putt the second and 16th greens. You can’t be upset any time you finish under par at Valderrama.”

Whereas Lawrie looks a very sound bet to win a sufficiently big cheque to clinch his place in Dubai, that target is becoming more and more of a challenge for Shane Lowry. The big Esker Hills man, 63rd spot on the money list, quickly got himself into the right frame of mind with a fine opening nine of two under par 33 highlighted by birdies at the second and ninth.

The picture looked even brighter when he picked up another birdie at the downwind, par five 11th. However, Valderrama isn’t regarded as one of the toughest courses anywhere in the world for no reason, a fact cruelly drilled into the Lowry psyche as he fell off the leaderboard with a double bogey at the 14th sandwiched between further dropped shots at the 13th and 15th. “That was disappointing but it was good to sink tricky putts for pars on the last two,” said Lowry.

“I have only two tournaments in Europe after this, Singapore and Hong Kong, so I’m under pressure to make it to Dubai. If it happens, it happens, but I have to be happy with my year after missing the first three months with a broken wrist.”

So Lawrie, 70; Lowry, 72 and McDowell, 73, lead the Irish challenge. It was a tough day, though, for Gareth Maybin, 75; Paul Cutler, 76; Damien McGrane 79 and Paul McGinley, 79.