Exclusive – Double D Tees-Up In Hong Kong Buoyed By Florida Finish

10 months ago by Comments Off on Exclusive – Double D Tees-Up In Hong Kong Buoyed By Florida Finish

Scotland’s David Drysdale tees-up in this week’s Link Hong Kong Open clearly buoyed by his efforts in a Champions Tour qualifier last week in Florida.

Drysdale and caddying wife Vicky shared seventh place in the four-rounder that finished last Friday on the Buckhorn Springs Golf & Country Club course at Valrico near Tampa.

It qualifies Drysdale for next month’s final qualifying event in Phoenix, Arizona and with the leading five place-getters earning a start on next year’s Champions Tour.

“Teeing-up in Florida was my first over-50s event of my seniors career though I don’t turn 50 till March next year”, he said.

“It was completely new and very interesting experience and also quite bizarre with all these older guys on the range worried about an ailing back or sore feet and other aches and pains, so that made it quite interesting.

“It was just great to finish as high as we did and to now have a crack at the final in a few weeks’ time in Arizona.

“Also, we played last week using motorised carts and you hit your shot and then just drive straight up the fairway to your ball so that was very different. A bit like playing holiday golf with your mates. There was a cooler box on the buggy with not many beers in it but there was plenty of water and energy drinks.

“Then when you get to your ball, you have a laser distance to the pin so you pull a club, hit the shot and then jump back in the buggy and drive-up to the side of the green.

“Yes, it was very different but also great.  We got around in about four hours, 15 minutes.

“I played with a guy named Matt Mitchell, who is a pharmaceutical salesman and who played off play-4 and had turned 50 a couple of weeks ago.  He said that he might as well have a go and I played with him the last three days.  He got through so he’s also heading to Phoenix for the final.

“The second day I teed-up alongside a guy named Brett Waldman who once caddied for Charlie Hoffman for four-and-half years.

“There was a few pros also who I knew like Felipe Aguilar and Martin Lafeber was there but he missed out by a shot and Martin saying to me that he had not had a scorecard in his hand for seven years.

“Though Sully (Andy Sullivan) also missed out”,

As Drysdale does not turn 50 till March 2025 it means ‘business as usual’ for the next few weeks and that’s back onto the Asian Tour and this week’s Link Hong Kong Open while he will tee-up in next week’s Qatar Masters ahead of jetting back to the States and the Grand Canyon State.

It is a near 9,000-mile journey flying direct from Florida to Hong Kong though the Drysdale’s spent a rare day back home in Scotland before heading to this week’s host venue in suburban Fanling, and where Drysdale says he has competed four times previously in the past two years.

Unfortunately, heavy rain just after the morning pro-am commenced did the players and organisers no favours in the countdown to the $2m event.

“I was up at half-four this morning (Wednesday) in readiness for the pro-am at half-seven but it was cancelled after just two holes because of the rain”, said Drysdale.

“The afternoon pro-am was cancelled, as well.

“It was okay for me as I was on the range at 6am this morning in an uncover area, so that was fine for me spending a couple of hours there.

“Though the rain has been torrential and it’s still raining now early evening but the forecast for the first round is pretty good”.

Drysdale believes this week is his 15th appearance teeing-up on the Hong Kong course.

“I used to play all the co-sanctioned then European Tour named events out here in Hong Kong while this is my fourth visit in two years competing as an Asian Tour member”, he said.

“It’s just a fantastic venue and I just love everything about Hong Kong. I love the food in the clubhouse.  The facilities are brilliant and the old, traditional and tree-lined golf course.

“It’s just going to be a shame as it will be pretty damp this week, as the course normally plays pretty fast at this time of the year.

“What’s good is that we have a few LIV guys teeing-up this week including Martin Kaymer while Justin Rose is here again”.

He’s will tee-up over the opening two r0unds in the company of Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Seungtaek Lee.

 

 



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