For David Drysdale and his caddying wife Vicky, South Africa has been like a second home for the affable Scots.
In a 22-year pro career Drysdale has contested 56 events on the African continent and all but a handful in South Africa and making it his most visited nation to play golf outside of competing in the UK.
One of Dyrsdale’s first events as a member of then secondary Challenge Tour was the 2000 Kenya Open while his made his full European Tour member debut two years later teeing-up in the 2002 South African Open.
However, of all the South African cities the Drydsale’s have travelled most it is the capital Johannesburg.
“I just seem to really enjoy the climate, the golf courses while we’ve met many friends travelling to South Africa,” he said.
“Many of the golf courses we play suits my style of play and I’ve had some good results in South Africa.
David Drysdale and his wife, Vicky at The Open
“We often stay with friends and when we do, we usually have a Braai (Bar-b-que/roast) every night and is just so relaxing.”
Dysdale this week’s leads a large field of eight Scots into the Joburg Open in the South African capital.
It is one of the biggest Tartan representations since 13 of the country’s leading male professionals teed-up last July at Dundonald Links in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
Drysdale has contested every Joburg Open for the last decade while this week also is his fourth visit this year to the Rainbow Nation.
He had commenced the 2017 season in January’s BMW SA Open finishing T7th before returning two months later to share 23rd place in the Joburg Open while the Drysdale’s were in Sun City last month to finish T42nd in the Nedbank Challenge.
In the 2009 event Drysdale was leading after two rounds before eventually sharing third place and then three years later he holed a 20-foot last hole birdie and moments before play was suspended on day one due to rain to enjoy a then share of the clubhouse lead before also eventually sharing third place.
Four years ago, Drysdale shared 11th place in the event while the past three season’s Dyrsdale has not been able to reproduce that form in missing the Joburg Open cut in his last two starts in the event.
Joining Drysdale this week is the European Tour rookie duo of Bradley Neil and Conor Syme, and joining them is Duncan Stewart, Grant Forrest, Robert McIntyre, the Paul Lawrie Golf Club attached David Law along with The Carrick’s Scott Henry.
Louis Oosthuizen, the clear tournament favourite and former Open Champion, was forced to withdraw after a bizarre injury when he caught fingers on his right hand in an airport luggage trolley.
“The body feels great but I had a different incident this week with jamming my fingers in trolleys at the airport,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I will be able to play this week.
“I’m here and I was ready to do everything this week. I was actually relieved there wasn’t a pro-am because I thought the rest would help but this morning is even worse than it was yesterday. I tried to grip a golf club but there’s no way I can go to my grip position.
“It’s a sad thing but you know I have had my struggles with a couple of things. My body actually feels great but when something like this happens the Monday when I travel, it’s a bit of an unfortunate one.”
