David Drysdale eyes Open as he gets set to tee up in Turkey

The 42-year-old has next year’s Open at Carnoustie in his sights as he joins four fellow Scots in teeing up in the $7 million event the Regnum Carya resort on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.

“The goal for me in the Final Series is to try and get into next year’s Open,” declared Drysdale, who is based in Cocksburnspath and who recorded a top-30 finish in this season’s Claret Jug event at Birkdale.

“I’m 48th in the Race to Dubai and, if I can get into the top 30, then I’d get in off the money-list. One big result in the next three weeks would probably do the trick.”

Drysdale, who is the second top Scot on the money-list this season behind Edinburgh-based Richie Ramsay, left this same venue 12 months ago not knowing if he was heading home to Britain or on to South Africa.

“Even up until two hours before the flight was due to leave, I still didn’t know if I was flying to Gatwick or Joburg,” he recalled of how he was left hanging before discovering he’d earned a place in the Nedbank Challenge.

“I think it was down to the fact that Patrick Reed didn’t take up his spot that I got into the Sun City event, though as it turned out Ricardo Gouevia, who was below me on the list, got in that night as well.

“It’s great to know that I am already going to Sun City this time around and Dubai, too, for the DP World Tour Championship. It’s a reward for doing well the rest of the year.

“I’ve played a lot of good consistent golf and, of course, had a good finish (joint-fourth) in one of the Rolex Series events in Ireland.”

Drysdale’s current position in the Race to Dubai matches his best finish, which was achieved in 2009, and he really is a player who deserves a lot more credit than he receives for carving out a prolonged career on the European Tour.

“It’s been a really good year, though, at the same time, it’s been a year when I’ve only managed to put three good rounds together in events,” said the former Dunbar assistant pro.

“It’s been close to being exceptional as I’ve played some great stuff tee to green.

“I was 15th in the Dunhill and 26th in Italy but so close to being so much better than that, which is encouraging. In Italy in the last round I shot five-under and that was easily the worst score it could have been.

“The only time I’ve putted really well was that last round in Ireland, where I think I must have holed putts totalling 100 feet that day.”