After his gut-wrenching disappointment this time last year, Scotland’s David Drysdale can be proud in teeing-up in this week’s Volvo China Open looking assured of retaining his Asian Tour card for next season.
Drysdale, 48, is again a lone Scot and competing in an event that was played under both European Tour and Asian Tour flags from 2004 to 2019, and Drysdale a regular entrant from 2010 to 2017 inclusive.
The Scottish golfer tees-up this week on the host Hidden Grace resort near Shenzhen lying a lofty 43rd on the Asian Tour money list and in this the fourth last event of the 2023 Asian Tour season, and an eighth of 10 under the LIV-backed International Series.
Unlike the scenario that Scott Jamieson faced last week in Qatar, Drysdale is well inside the cut-off mark for automatic 2024 Asian Tour membership which is a fine achievement in his rookie Asian Tour season.
CAN STAND TALL @asiantourgolf
🏴 David Drysdale @vicky_drysdale all but assured 2024 Tour membership heading into this week’s @VolvoChinaOpen 👏👍
Double-D no stranger to event teeing-up 2010-’17@CallawayGolfEU
Read: https://t.co/I97F4zbNkV
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport pic.twitter.com/ZsXIzQ3cvX
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) November 1, 2023
And after a rousing 62 to share the opening round lead in his last event in Macau he and his wife/caddy, Vicky is looking to do it in style over his closing four events after the disappointment a year ago of losing his DP World Tour card.
Drysdale said: “It’s been a good Asian Tour season for me and very different to what I was facing this time last year.
“I’ve enjoyed competing on the Tour, loved visiting all the different countries and also the golf courses, and my results have shown that.
“Also, Vicky (wife/caddy) and I have always enjoyed coming to this part of the world with the golf course and the hotel this week stunning, so looking forward to getting going and finishing off the year on a strong note.
“I had a good week in Macau shooting that first round 62 and then also finished strongly, so more of the same this week would be ideal”.
The ‘International Series’ status has attracted a handful of LIV players to the event including Graeme McDowell, the former US Open champ, and winner of 15 other pro events, who is now ranked a lowly 688th on the World Rankings and also has not contested a major in three years.
It’s also been over three years since McDowell’s last taste success and that being the European Tour’s 2020 Saudi International.
McDowell said: “My goals for the next three weeks are to try to compete and try to get the juices flowing and try and win a golf tournament as I move into 2024 and hopefully continue to be part of LIV.
“I think just to get back into the winner’s circle, I think winning is fun and it breeds more good golf and more good confidence, so getting into the winner’s circle as soon as possible is definitely the goal for the next 12 months.”
As well, McDowell is also no stranger having finished runner-up on this week’s host course in 2007.
