It’s a double celebration for Scotland’s David Drysdale teeing-up in this week’s Magical Kenya Open sponsored by Johnnie Walker.
Not only is it Drysdale’s 46th birthday tomorrow (FRD) but this week marks the 21st anniversary of his first overseas tour event in travelling to the African continent for the 2000 Kenya Open.
The Borders golfer was a week shy of his 24th birthday when he boarded a flight bound for Nairobi and just a fourth event in his then secondary Challenge Tour career.
Drysdale has now returned to Kenya for a fourth time in his career to tee-up in what will be his 518th European Tour event.
David Drysdale enjoying a double celebration in returning to Kenya 21-years after his first visit
He said: “I’ve probably racked up something like two million air miles since I played my first overseas tournament here in 2000 if you work on an average of 50 flights a year for 20 years, a lot of them long distance to Australia, Asia and Africa”.
In fact, this week is Drysdale’s fourth Kenya Open while he’s competed in 61 events in South Africa and every year between 2002 and last year. That’s 11 more tournaments than he’s played combined in Challenge or European Tour events on home soil.
Drysdale’s also teed-up in Panama and Costa Rica but yet to compete in New Zealand or the North American continent.
He’s this week joining seven other Scots in the co-sanctioned European and Sunshine Tour event and won by some of the greats of the game including Seve Ballesteros (1978), Ian Woosnam (1986) and Trevor Immelman (2000).
Five Scots have also tasted victory in Kenya – Brian Barnes, Ken Brown, Garry Harvey, Craig Maltman and Mike Miller.
Drysdale said: “I’ve played the two courses here and the one this week is in lovely condition.
“It’s one of these traditional, old-style courses in the trees, quite narrow in places and not overly long, with small greens.
“It’s a little like Hong Kong. You don’t have to hit a driver on a lot of holes so I think we are looking at a winning mark of around 17-under, maybe even lower.
“This event used to be on the Safari Tour and I was aware that some big names had won it.
“With its history it would be a great event to win and follow in the footsteps of legends. Mind you, any tournament would be good to win. I’d take any win.
“After the winds in Qatar, which were torture, physically and mentally, it’s good not to have that here.
“We had a three-ball on Friday in Qatar after Marc Warren pulled out with a bad back and it still took five hours, 20 minutes in the wind. It was so difficult, especially putting. But it’s a good event and I always enjoy going there.”
Drysdale is the first Scot to tee-up on day one at 8.20am local time.
