Drysdale Making His Move As Rain Reduces Event To Three Rounds In Hong Kong

3 years ago by Comments Off on Drysdale Making His Move As Rain Reduces Event To Three Rounds In Hong Kong

Scotland’s David Drysdale was making a strong move towards the top of the tournament when heavy rain stopped play and with news of continued rain forcing World City Championship officials into reducing the Asian Tour event to three rounds in Hong Kong.

Dyrsdale had grabbed a hat-trick of birdies from his seventh hole on the host Fanling course and had just pared the 14th when play was halted around 11.48am local time.

Unfortunately the rain persisted and with Asian Tour officials calling a halt to play mid-afternoon, and with the news that continuing poor weather will see the event reduced to 54-holes.

“I played pretty solid and we were going along nicely today, with three great birdies in a row just ahead of the turn, and the siren sounded to stop play,” said Drysdale.

“So, that was a little disappointing but you have to accept that is this game, and with given tomorrow’s forecast for more bad weather, reducing the tournament to three rounds is the right decision.

“I just hope we can now get finished”.

Drysdale had superbly picked-up four shots to move to five-under, and was lying in a share of 11th place when play was halted.

The reduction to just three rounds would see his chance of grabbing one of the four spots into the 151st Open Championship now without of reach but there will be other opportunities,

For the meantime, it was early to bed for the Drysdales, with a 5am alarm call ahead of an 8am hopeful restart to the third and now final round.

The leaders in the event, including Hong Kong’s own Taichi Kho who was four ahead at 13-under par, but only having managed just two holes.

“After careful consideration we have decided to reduce the World City Championship presented by the Hong Kong Golf Club to 54 holes, because of the inclement weather today and the forecast for it to continue tomorrow,” said Chokchai Boonprasert, Tournament Director, Asian Tour.

“The course, including the bunkers and approach areas, were waterlogged, after the heavy downpour. This is obviously unfortunate, and we feel very sorry for all the fans who made the trip here today, but it was the only sensible course of action.

“We are confident we will be able to complete the tournament tomorrow, with the four places in The Open remaining up for grabs.”

Kho earned his first victory at the 2016 Hong Kong Junior Open, then later secured his first professional win at the Hong Kong PGA Order of Merit Leg 1, becoming the first amateur to win the event. He first Hong Kong Open as a pro was in 2017.

Like Kho, Drysdale is also no stranger to the old-style Fanling course in suburban Hong Kong.

The Scot made is debut in the then DP World Tour Hong Kong Open in 2010 and this week marks Drysdale’s eighth appearance, and also with his last showing in November 2018. It was his opening event of the then 2018/19 wraparound season and celebrated with his best Hong Kong Open showing of fifth.  It proved a great visit to Hong Kong as three weeks later Dyrsdale finished runner-up in the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Though somewhat disappointingly, and with only four holes left of what will be now his final round, the weather has probably cut-short Drysdale’s effort to better that fifth place finish just over four years ago.

Only four players among the 71 who made the cut managed to complete their third and now final round.

 

 

 

 



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