Scotland’s David Drysdale has travelled to South Africa so many times in his career the Rainbow Nation could consider affording him honorary citizenship.
This week’s co-sanctioned Joburg Open marks Dyrsdale’s 56th tournament in South Africa since first travelling to the country in 2002 to compete in the Dunhill Championship at Houghton Park in Joburg.
That’s near 11% of his now 511 Tour events have been in South Africa.
Drysdale had first visited the African continent both in 2000 and 2001 competing in the secondary Challenge Tour Kenya Open.
David Drysdale has teed-up in nearly 60 events in South Africa in the course of his career
Initially, the golfer affectionately known as ‘Double D’, would play one or two events at the commencement to a new season but once the European Tour went into a wraparound season, Dyrsdale was playing a few events in November and December and then returning at the start of a New Year to contest three or four touranments ahead of heading to the Tour’s Middle East Swing.
In fact, in 2012 Drysdale contested five events in South Africa that included two in January and then three in November that were part of the 2012/13 wraparound schedule.
And Drysdale’s since five events in South Africa in 2015, 2016 and 2017 while he teed-up in four events in 2018.
Results-wise Drysdale has secured a third of his nine top-3 finishes in South Africa, including a pair of top-3 in both 2009 and 2012 at this week’s Joburg Open when staged at the Royal Johannesburg.
He was also runner-up in the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek.
And in teeing-up this week he is probably the only player in the Joburg field who can boast having competed in all 12 prior Joburg Open’s from the inaugural event in 2007 and including the last in 2017 before the event found it’s way this week back onto the schedule.
“I’ve had a couple of near misses at the Joburg Open when it was at Royal Joburg and I finished second at the Dunhill a couple of years ago,” he said.
“I’ve ususally done pretty decently at Leopard Creek for the Alfred Dunhill with a sixth in 2014 while I havd a top-10 in a South African Open (8th in 2010).
“The thing is Vicky and I have always loved coming down here for the the Scottish winter and that’s what we thought we would be doing later in the year under news of these three events.
“It’s just brilliant to be here. It’s great to have three events on three fantastic golf courses. We played the South African earlier this year here at Randpark and I’ve played the course back in ’18 and ’17.
“Also, it’s brilliant to have the Joburg Open back on the schedule as it’s not been played since for a couple of years, and it’s the one event down here were I’ve done well.
“So, it’s brilliant to have the Joburg Open back. Long may it continue.”
DAVID DYRSDALE’S SOUTH AFRICA RECORD
2002 – Dunhill, Championship, Hougthon Park – MC
2003 – South African Airlines Open, East London – T38th;
Alfred Dunhill, Hougthon Park – MC
2004 – Kenya Open, T50th
2005 – South African Airlines Open, Durban CC – MC
Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – MC
2006/07 – (Dec 2006) Dunhill C’ship. Leopard Creek – T25th
(Dec 2006) South African Airlines Open, Humewood, Port Eliz’ -MC
(January 2007) – Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – MC
(Dec 2007) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T28th
(Dec 2007) South African Airlines Open, Pearl Valley, W Cape – MC
2008 – Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – 63rd
2008/09 – (Dec 2008) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T29th
(Dec 2008) South African Open, Pearl Valley, Western Cape – T34th
(January 2009) Joburg Open, Joburg – 3rd
2009/10 – (December 2009) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – MC
(December 2009) South African Open, Pearl Valley – T21st
(January 2010) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – MC
2010/11 – (December 2010) – Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T23rd
(December 2010) – South African Open, Durban CC, Durban – T8th
(January 2011) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – T13th
2011/12 – (November 2011) South African Open, Serengeti Golf & Wildlife
Estate, Ekurkuleni – T54th
(January 2012) Africa Open, East London, Eastern Cape – T18th
(January 2012) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – T3rd
(November 2012) South African Open, Serengeti – T55th
(December 2012) Nelson Mandela, Royal Durban, Durban – MC
2012/13 – (December) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T25th
(February 2013) Tshwane Open, Copperleaf, Centurion – RTD
(February 2013) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – T11th
(February 2013) Africa Open, East London, Eastern Cape – T27th
2013/14 – (November) South African Open, Glendower, Gauteng – T59th
(February 2014) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – T69th
(February 2014) Africa Open, East London, Eastern Cape – T25th.
2014/15 – (December 2014) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T6th
(January 2015) South African Open, Glendower, Gauteng – T11th
(March 2015) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – MC
(March 2015) Africa Open, East London – T24th
(March 2015) Tshwane Open, Pretoria Waterkloof – MC
2015/16 – (November 2015) Dunhill Championship. Leopard Creek – T18th
(January 2016) South African Open, Glendower – T27th
(January 2016) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – MC
(February 2016) Tshwane Open, Pretoria – MC
(November 2016) Nedbank Challenge, Sun City – T49th
2016/2017 – (December 2016) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T11th
(January 2017) South African Open, Glendower – T7th
(February 2017) Joburg Open, Royal Joburg – T23rd
(March 2017) Tshwane, Pretoria – T45th
(November 2017) Nedbank Challenge, Sun City – T42nd
2017/18 – (December 2017) Joburg Open, Randpark, Joburg – MC
(December 2017) South African Open, Glendower – T47th
(March 2018) Tshwane, Pretoria – MC
2019 – South African Open, Randpark – RTD
Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – 2nd
2019/20 – (December 2019) Dunhill Championship, Leopard Creek – T36th
(January 2020) South African Open, Randpark – MC
(November 2020) Joburg Open, Randpark- ?
