AN EMAIL confirming his appearance in next month's PGA Championship helped rouse Richie Ramsay from his sickbed to take his place in the field for the French Open.
The Aberdonian, who missed Wednesday's nine-hole practice round at Versailles after taking ill with a stomach complaint, will join his fellow Scots Stephen Gallacher, Marc Warren and the US Tour-based Russell Knox at Whistling Straits next month.
He received the news in an early-morning email from the PGA of America that helped ensure his recovery and while play at the Le National course was delayed by a two-and-a-half hour storm warning, Ramsay completed his round in fine fettle after carding a level-par 71 at the 2018 Ryder Cup venue.
Those in the afternoon half of the draw did not finish their rounds well into the evening.
Ramsay said: "I woke up on Wednesday feeling a bit sick but then around noon I really felt poorly.
"It wasn't helped by the fact it was roasting out there. I went to bed in the afternoon and woke up feeling a lot better, helped by the email from the PGA of America.
"It was good to get out there today and they've cut back a lot of the rough. While it makes the course play easier in one way, though, the hot weather is making the course play fiery and bouncy.
"I did have a good attitude today and that helped even when I had a long two-putt bogey there at the last. I played pretty solid with nothing flashy as you don't need to be flashy around this golf course.
"It's a great course and why they needed a symposium to select it for the 2018 Ryder Cup I will never know."
Ramsay posted nine straight pars before his only birdie at the 10th, the strung together another run of pars before his slip at the last.
The 32-year-old was in contention for last month's Irish Open title and while he eventually finished 10th he continued to show good form with an 11th place finish in his last event in Austria.
Having won earlier in the year at the Hassan 11 Trophy in Morocco and now with the reward of a PGA Championship tee time, Ramsay is already working on his schedule for 2016.
"Winning in Morocco was like a two-and-three-quarter exemption given it was early in the season and now on top of the good results at Royal County Down and Austria I am working on my schedule for next year already," he said.
"It will be my secondPGA Championship and I'll be looking to play more often in the bigger events from now. It's all going pretty well and I'm just trying to stay loose and stay fit.
Stirling's Craig Lee and Glasgow's Scott Jamieson carded one-over par 72s. Gallacher shot 73 and Chris Doak 74.
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