Scot David Drysdale has taken a first big stride in superbly qualifying for the big-money Asian Tour events in coming months by muscling his way inside the top-10 on the 2023 season re-ranking table of those earning full Tour status earlier this year.
Drysdale’s share of 16th in the International Series Vietnam saw him jump 31 spots to seventh on this first re-rank list for the new season, and thus rubber stamping his place in such events as the International Series England in the third week of August and then a week later with Drysdale assured now of teeing-up in the historic St. Andrews Bay Championship.
The Borders golfer was on a first trip to Vietnam, and while missing just two fairways over the four rounds, he was lethal with the putter taking just 13 putts in a closing round of 67 for a 13-under tally in the heatwave conditions on the Greg Norman designed KN Links course
All up, Drysdale registered 13 putts on day one, 12 on both days two and three, and 13 putts on the final day in a closing effort that included four inward half birdies and the Tour stats also revealing he one-putted 37 of 72 holes.
He said: “It was four days of solid golf from tee-to-green. I pretty much hit the fairways all week and gave myself an awful lot of chances on the greens.
“I could have knocked a few more putts in but overall, it’s been a great week coming here to Vietnam for the first time.
“We’ve been out for about five to six weeks now, so we’ve been used to the heat and humidity and vastly different to back home in Scotland. So, it’s been a good idea staying out here as we’re getting more used to the weather out here”.
While Scots on the PGA Tour are struggling to make the cut, and there’s no golf on the DP World Tour, Drysdale continues to make the most of his Asian Tour opportunities now posting results in his last three events of T24th, T9th and now T16th to be lying 55th on the Tour money list.
‘Double-D’ and his caddying/wife Vicky are taking a few days off this week in Ho Chi Minh City before heading to Dubai for a week ahead of teeing-up in back-to-back Challenge Tour events in Abu Dhabi over the last week in April and the first week in May.
He said: “Looking forward to a few days exploring Ho Chi Minh City, and then it’s a week in Dubai before two events in Abu Dhabi, the first at the National Club and where I’ve played many times and the second at Saadiyat Beach.
“So that should be a nice fortnight’s golf before heading back home for a break”.
Of course, it’s the goal of every golfer teeing-off on day one in any tournament to win, and after a great start to this new chapter in his career, Drysdale is no different.
He said: “I’ve love to win out here on the Asian Tour. I’ve had a good start to my season getting myself through stage one, and the way I’m playing at the moment I’m loving it.
“The golf courses have been great and we’re being looked after very well. So, it would be nice to give myself a good chance to win on the Tour”.
Zimbabwean Kieran Vincent grabbed a unique Asian Tour double, birdieing the closing hole in a score of 66 to win the Vietnam event by a shot at 19-under-par, and 14 months after his older brother Scott captured last June’s International Series England event at the Centurion Club.
