Three years after becoming the first Scot in 108 years to win the US Amateur Championship, Richie Ramsay has won his first European Tour title.
The 25-year-old from Aberdeen prevailed in the South African Open at Pearl Valley, coming from five behind with a 65 and defeating Shiv Kapur of India with a birdie on the first play-off hole.
"There's no greater feeling than winning and I'm just a flood of emotions - I'm holding back the tears," said Ramsay, who has worked with Putting Coach Phil Kenyon during 2009.
The pair tied on 13-under 275 but the former Walker Cup player grabbed the first prize of £141,745 - and a Tour exemption that runs until the end of 2011 - by reaching the green in two then two-putting the 601-yard 18th.
"Things just went for me," he said. "But I am a lot more positive now - I go out believing and thinking I can win."
Ramsay did not drop a shot all day, going to the turn in 33 and then grabbing more birdies on the 10th, 12th, 15th and 17th. The last of those, a 14-footer following a superb approach from the rough over water, brought Ramsay into the joint lead and after he missed a 25-foot birdie chance on the last, Kapur then stood on the same green with a 12-foot putt for his first Tour title but missed.
Edoardo Molinari, who also works with Putting Coach Phil Kenyon, finished 4th which allowed the Italian to climb into the world's top 50 and qualify to join his brother Francesco in the Masters at Augusta in April. The overnight leader, Pablo Martín, winner of last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship, dropped to sixth with a 73.
Ramsay went into the event ranked 240th in the world and the victory will take him just inside the top 120, making him the second-highest-ranked Scot, behind Martin Laird, who is based on the US PGA Tour. Ramsay had already made sure of keeping his Tour card by finishing fourth at the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews in October. A performance which he credited to the help of Phil Kenyon during in a post tournament interview on Sky Sports.
Richie Ramsey putting at the 2009 Italian Open (video)
