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SALTIRE ENERGY PAUL LAWRIE MATCH PLAY

July 30, 2015

Richie Ramsay

Aberdeen, Scotland

Q. I take it there's satisfaction, but you had to dig deep, didn't you, today?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Yeah, Shiv played really solid on the front side. His chipping was very steady. Mine wasn't.

But I knew, I just hung in there. If I hung in there and didn't let it get away from me, I knew there was birdies to come because I didn't really hole anything on the front side.

But the most pleasing thing is playing well under pressure. There's no better feeling. To birdie the last two, and then obviously down the last with the local guys on the green was great. And just I can call upon that in the rest of the round and maybe sharpen up the game this afternoon, ready for round two.

Q. But extension, does that mean you were feeling the pressure?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Yeah, you feel the pressure. But that's what I love. That's what you practice for. And I think, I said it before, that when I was younger, I would probably feel the pressure and not play as well.

But now, with a bit of experience, you realize that this is what you're playing for. This is fun. You've got to go out there and play, and it's the kind of golf course that is fun to play, because you can hit driver and you can hit long irons off the tee and play conservative.

Just stuck to my game plan. Didn't change it. And then obviously great to finish with two birdies, which was pretty clutch coming down the stretch.

Q. You had hoped that local knowledge would help; did it?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Not in the front nine. It did on the last, the last two. I knew 17 and how to play that, kind of land it short and run it over the little bank, which was a great shot.

Then the last, you get two options. You hit a medium-long iron and you give yourself longer into the green or give yourself a chance and hit driver up there. It's really narrow. I said, I'll make Shiv work for it. Luckily I hit a great shot in and holed a lovely putt, which was a fantastic way to finish.

Q. I take it sinking that putt really does make the day all worthwhile and knowing that he would have had to hole his to force into extra time. One of those pressure situations that you mentioned.
RICHIE RAMSAY: You've got to -- my mental kind of approach to match play is that if they are on the green, they are going to hole the putt. Just accept that they are going to hole it, because you know that everybody out here is top players, and guys can really get the putter going.

It was one of those chances where the door was slightly ajar and I had a chance just to shut it and close it. And after one of the guys I like to watch, it was probably a good day to close it; it was a bit like Harvey Specter out there.

First nine, just dug in there hard and played good, really solid on the back nine. Shiv played really solid golf to be player and had to work for it in the end. Two birdies, he was never going to give me that; so two birdies coming down the stretch was really hard work to get that done and get through round one, which is never easy.

Q. What was going through your mind when you were 3-down?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Don't go four. Yeah, just in match play you can get momentum and sometimes you've just got to try and stop it as quickly as possible. He hit a great chip on 8 and I had to make that birdie putt to really stop the momentum on his side.

Luckily I hit into there about five feet and rolled it in, and that made a big difference. He holed a lovely putt on the next to stop me going two back. And then it was kind of back and forth, really solid pars, a lot of chances. And you know, I just managed to take my two on the last two holes. But all credit to him, he played steady. I knew he was a steady player and he showed it today and made me work for it.

Q. Nice little fist pump at the end; you were really enjoying yourself out there.
RICHIE RAMSAY: Yeah, I kind of -- if you want to watch someone who is stone faced, don't watch me. I'll show my emotions out there. If I lost, you would know about it, and I'm going to smile when I win. You've got to enjoy these moments, and like I said to the guys before, playing under pressure, that's what I love. Sunday afternoon coming down the stretch chasing a win, that's great. And all these matches are kind of like Sunday afternoon coming down the stretch. That's where the pressure turns on, and I think that's where I play my best golf.

Q. What did it mean to have the support of such a big local crowd?
RICHIE RAMSAY: Great. Obviously the match going to 18, there was a lot of people around there. I think you travel the world and play a lot, and people want to come out and watch you and see what you can do. Because as much as you watch on TV, you don't get probably a feel for it being in the atmosphere. Just showed that under pressure, I can perform with some of the best out there. Again, it reaffirms some of my belief that my game is getting better and the attitude in the short game is good. I just need to keep that up.

Q. And how confident are you that you can go all the way?
RICHIE RAMSAY: I can get as far as I let myself get. If I get myself -- if I get in the way of myself, I won't reach my potential. But I know what my potential is. I've won three European Tour titles, so the goal is to chase a fourth, and there's probably not a better place to do it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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