ABERDEEN’S Richie Ramsay today woke up with 135,000 reasons to smile after finishing tied for fourth in the £3 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

A missed four-foot putt on the 72nd hole may have cost Ramsay £82,000, but the £135,000 he did earn assured him of his European Tour card next season.

Ramsay would have finished joint second but for three-putting from the Valley of Sin on the last.

The former US Amateur champion has soared to 96th in the Race to Dubai rankings after starting the tournament in 141st place, with the top 115 players earning their Tour cards.

Ramsay, who was flying out today to play in the Madrid Masters in Spain, reflected on getting the job done after driving home to Aberdeen to celebrate with family and friends.

Aberdeen golfer Ramsay said: “I’ve gone out there and I haven’t cared about the result.

“I’ve got a great friend in the States, Dick Gilbert, and he put me in contact with sports psychologist Bob Rotella who told me to just go out there and play.

“You have got a putt, and it’s either going to go in or it’s going to miss, and that’s the kind of attitude I’ve been taking.

“If it doesn’t go in, it doesn’t go in, but just make sure you hole the next one.

“I have been more relaxed and not worrying about results.

“I tried to stay away from leaderboards and have fun.

“I could look at what happened on the last with the old Scottish negativity, but I’m choosing to look at the bigger picture, and this has been massive for me.”