Richie Ramsay is taking up an offer of help from an old friend from his days as a �caddie at Royal Aberdeen to help him make his first �tentative steps on the European Tour.

Richie Ramsay is taking up an offer of help from an old friend from his days as a caddie at Royal Aberdeen to help him make his first tentative steps on the European Tour.

The 25-year-old Aberdonian secured his ticket to tour on the Challenge Tour that ended in Italy on Sunday and, provided his card is good enough to secure entry, is planning a journey before the end of the year that will take him to Hong Kong, Melbourne and finally South Africa.

Before then, the former US amateur champion intends to take a break in West Palm Beach, Florida, courtesy of the American businessman, Dick Gilbert, for whom he caddied a decade ago to earn pocket money when he was a junior.

"He showed me his Scotty Cameron Futura putter, which I liked, and he insisted on sending me one as a present. It was the putter I used to win the US amateur and when I mentioned his name in interviews he got in touch and invited me to Florida to play golf," Ramsay said.

"I've been there before and there are some excellent courses with greens that are the same kind as Hong Kong. It will be good preparation and it will also be a good break so that I will be fresh and eager when I restart."

Ramsay will meet with coach Ian Rae today in St Andrews to have a first discussion about the season ahead and then will sit down with his manager, Mark Booker of IMG, to chart out an itinerary that hopefully will begin in just over three weeks.

"If my card is good enough, I'll play in Hong Kong and then travel to Melbourne for the Australian Masters. There's a week off and I'll stay with friends there before going to South Africa and return for Christmas. I could stay at home and put on my thermals, but I'd rather take these warm-weather opportunities because at the start of next year I'm going to have some time off when I can work on my fitness and swing."

That time off will coincide with the three-week Middle-East swing in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai. He believes his card will not extend to starts in those events. He expects to find a steep rise from the level he experienced on his Challenge Tour sojourn which included two victories and a No.8 finish, well ahead of his pre-season targets.

"The course set-ups on the European Tour are going to be different. There's going to be more of a premium on the long game, which suits me. I like playing courses that are quite tight," he said. "It's a step up to me, but I feel my game has room for improvement. There's still a way to go with regard to fitness, short game, and driving. I always strive to be better."

Ramsay was surprised to learn that yesterday marked the first day in the history of the world rankings that there was no Scot in the top 100. It was a gap he would love to fill, but was cautious not to set too high a target.

"Making the top 100 next year in the world rankings is a big ask," he said. "A good goal would be making the top 100 in the order of merit. That would keep my card and that would be a successful year.

"The world rankings maybe don't cover the whole truth. Stephen Gallacher is playing well, Alastair Forsyth won at the start of the year and he was ninth in the US PGA. Marc Warren and Monty Colin Montgomerie won the World Cup and the amateur boys won the Eisenhower Trophy.

"Steven O'Hara and I got our cards and there is a wealth of guys going to tour school who have the games to get on the main tour. There is a lot more depth coming through at each level and in the next few years you will maybe see a better reflection in the world rankings. We all hope so, because if we can do well then it will inspire the next generation."