Drysdale Returns To Asian Tour Fully Exempt & Full Of Enthusiasm

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Scotland’s David Drysdale returns to competition this week in the sauna-like conditions of the Malaysian capital fully exempt and full of enthusisam ahead of the opening event of the 2024 Asian Tour season.

The forecast is for a week in the mid 90s for Dyrsdale and his caddying wife, Vicky competing in the IRS Prima Malaysian Open being hosted by the Mine Club resort in Kuala Lumpur.

It’s the 62nd anniversary of the event won in the past by the likes of double major winning Vijay Singh (1992 and 2001), Lee Westwood (1997 and 2014) and fellow Scot Alastair Forsyth (2002).

Drysdale, who turns 49 mid-March, returns to competition two months after his ultra-impressive rookie season in finishing 47th on the 2023 Asian Tour money list, and well inside the leading 80 to retain full ’24 season membership.

The Borders golfer had achieved full ]24 season exemption the hard way having gone through two stages of a Tour Q-School and also given he was a rookie, it meant access to just 16 of 25 events with a best result of third at last September’s Taiwan Masters and missing the cut in only two events.

Now after some five weeks ‘chilling out’ in wintery Scotland, Drysdale and his manager/caddy wife, Vicky have returned to Asia very excited to be contesting the opening event of the new season.

He said: “It was great being back home in Scotland for about five weeks over the Festive Season and it was very different compared to last year when we were in and out of Q-School trying to secure my Asian Tour card.

“Being back in Scotland knowing that I was fully exempt for the 2024 Asian Tour season was fabulous, meaning we could work on a new season schedule where we could pick-and-choose where I wanted to play and not have that uncertainty of knowing where I would be playing from one week to the next.

“That was much the scenario last year but now having retained my Asian Tour card in my rookie season, it’s lifted so much pressure off our shoulders”.

Saying that, the Scottish winter was hardly conducive to working on his game as Drysdale explained.

He said:  “The weather was simply awful.  I went to Kings Acre probably seven days in a row but the ground was absolutely frozen, while your wearing three or four layers just to keep warm, so all you could really do was just work on your swing.  I didn’t have one game while I was back home.

“In  contrast, we then headed back out here to Asia and I’ve been playing five days days a week, wearing shorts and being able to practice as much as I have liked.

“The great thing is that the body feels good – touch wood!  I’ve been undertaking a lot of stretching.  The back and my neck feel okay but then you never know to you get into tournament mode but saying that I played some nice golf last week in Thailand, shooting some decent scores.

“I shot nine-under one day around Majestic Creek at Hau Hin and the next day I had 17 pars and one bogey but that’s golf, isn’t it?”

Drysdale confirmed he will contest three of the opening four Asian Tour events, including next week’s opening International Series event in Oman but skipping the following week’s New Zealand Open given the enormous distance he would need to travel ahead of the March 14-17 International Series event at Macau.

He said: “I’ve played the Oman course a couple times before.  It’s a lovely location and super golf course while the Macau event last year was a good event for me just finishing a place outside the top-10.

“I see that the Tour has confirmed G Mac (Graeme McDowell) and Sergio (Garcia) are playing in Macau, so that’s great for the event and it will be great to catch-up with them.

“So, that’s three tournaments over the first four weeks and then we are in and out of Asia before it’s again full on for the later part of the season with some 12 tournaments over the closing 14 weeks up to the first week in December.

“Last year, I was playing so many of the venues for the first time, probably around 80%, so it’s going to be great going back this year knowing the venue and what to expect.

“It’s a really good-looking schedule that they’ve announced so far while it includes three Korean events that I didn’t get into last year because of my Q-School card.

“So, there’s already some great venues and some good golf tournaments with Vicky and I loving the travel, we’re loving the places out here in Asia we visit, everyone is very friendly, so we’re looking forward to it”.

Currently, there are 16 events listed on the ’24 Asian Tour schedule but with the promise of close to a dozen more to be added, including a tournament in England.



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