Drysdale Overcomes ‘Elevated Tee Syndrome’ To Stand Tall Day One In Cyprus

5 years ago by Comments Off on Drysdale Overcomes ‘Elevated Tee Syndrome’ To Stand Tall Day One In Cyprus

Scotland’s David Drysdale superbly overcame what he described as ‘Elevated Tee Syndrome’ to post a six-under par 65 on the opening day of the inaugural Cyprus Open.

Drysdale, 45 capped his round eagling the par-5 10th holes and managing five birdies on the Cabell Robinson designed course.

Two of those birdies came from tee shots very high-up on the Meditterenan island including the par-3 third and par-5 seventh hole and where there is a 250-yard carry over a deep chasm to the fairway.

And this, as the Scot explained was leading to ‘ETS’ … see video.

“I holed a nice putt birdie putt on seven from about 25-feet which gives me the hibbie gibbies as I got a little bit of vertigo on the third tee and the seventh tee,” he said.

“It’s weird because I have got ‘ETS’ which is ‘Elevated Tee Syndrome’ where you feel like you can’t follow through with your shot and you almost stay so far back on it given the tee is so high up.

“It’s a strange feeling on a couple of the tee shots around the golf course.”

And while the greater majority have not played the stunning Aphrodite Hills couree before, Drysdale confirmed he visited the course some 10-years prior.

“It’s an unbelievable course and how you see this piece of land and then go ahead and design a golf course on it, is incredible,” said Drysdale.

“Whoever designed the course has done an incredible job as some of the tee shots, including the buggy ride to the third tee and also the right up to the seventh tee are incredible.

“I actually played here about 10-years ago, and you could call it a drunked holiday, but we played early in the morning and I can’t remember a lot about it but I do remember that drive down the hill at seven and just thinking ‘All my God!”.

Drysdale’s effort matches an equal best score this year including a 65 on the opening day of the English Open in early August.

And the proud Scot needed little reminding in his 505th European Tour event of the events in March this year when Drysdale went so close to a first Tour victory but losing out in a play-off to Spain’s Jorge Campillo.

The Scot said:  “I hit so many good shots in that play-off but like you say, Jorge’s putting was just unbelievable.

“It gave me great confidence and it was such a shame that I couldn’t continue it into the next couple of weeks obviously with tournaments getting cancelled and lockdown coming.

“Knowing that under pressure I can hit good golf shots and hopefully one day I get a chance to hit a good golf shot to win a golf tournament and it’s in the back of my mind that I should have the confidence to pull it off.”

 



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