Can Sam’s Belfry heroics inspire David towards a possible US Open spot?
David Drysdale can’t wait for his drive down to The Belfry today.
Not only is he delighted to avoid the difficulties of air travel in the current climate, but he is looking forward to teeing it up at the famous Ryder Cup venue.
It’s nearly two decades since Drysdale first played the Brabazon course, and having missed the event there last summer due to a back injury, he’s excited to be playing in the British Masters, beginning on Wednesday.
And there’s no doubt some of those famous moments from down the years will come flooding back for the Edinburgh golfer.
“I first played The Belfry in 2002 in the Benson & Hedges International Open, but I felt like I knew it before I went,” he told the Sunday Post.
“There are so many memories and especially of the Ryder Cup with Sam Torrance holing the putt in 1985 and Christy O’Connor’s two-iron at the last in 1989.
“I even remember Vicente Fernandez holing about an 80-foot putt up the 18th green to win an English Open.
“The Belfry is a proper golf course and it has come on so much as a test of golf.
“I’ve seen pictures of it and it looks in great nick considering the weather we’ve had.
“Travel this year has been a complete pain, so it’s a huge bonus to be able to drive to an event.
“I was almost refused on a flight from Amsterdam to Vienna for the Austrian Open as they weren’t convinced golf was essential travel. I told them it was essential for me because it’s my job.
“The Belfry is a great facility with a lovely hotel on site so it all makes for a very convenient week.”
The British Masters, which this week will be hosted by 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett, marks the first event of the season in Continental Europe. It was also the first event staged last year once the European Tour returned after lockdown and the Tour has managed to carry on ever since.
Drysdale acknowledges the work done by the Tour in testing circumstances, but he can’t wait for the meat of the season.
“I’m looking forward to a good run of tournaments,” said the 46-year-old. “The season feels like it’s been a bit stop-start and my golf has been inconsistent.
“I had a back twinge in Tenerife so withdrew as it can give me a few issues. But fitness-wise, I’m all good and hopefully I’ve nipped it in the bud.
“I’ve got the Belfry, Denmark, the European Open and the new mixed event in Sweden coming up in the next few weeks.
“While there is a mini order of merit for the next three events where the top-10 non-exempt players will qualify for the US Open. So that is a real incentive to play some good golf.”
One thing sure to be on players’ minds in the locker room and on the practice range at the Belfry will be talk of the Saudi Arabia-backed Premier Golf League.
Details are vague, although there are rumours of astronomical amounts of money being offered to players who sign up to a new Formula One-style season of tournaments around the world.
But the PGA Tour and European Tour are standing their ground, by threatening that anyone who signs up to the PGL would lose membership rights on Tour.
At world No. 383, Drysdale is self-effacing enough to know he won’t be involved. And while unsure of the details, he thinks it should prompt a debate about whether golf needs to become more global.
“This looks like the idea of the European Super League in football, of having the best playing each other more often,” reasoned the Scot.
“I do know that the budget for the Saudi International on the European Tour must be huge as it was such a class field – Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau,
Phil Mickelson. And they have big plans to build a lot of courses there.
“This idea doesn’t seem an awful lot different from what Greg Norman said in the 1990s about having a world tour, which got pooh-poohed then. But we do now have the four WGC events.
“I’m not saying I’m in support of this Premier Golf League, but I’d like to see more big events around the world.
“Maybe the World Matchplay could move around or even the PGA Championship. There are fantastic courses in Australia and South Africa, which deserve to host big events.
“Take Royal Melbourne, for example. It’s one of my favourites. It’s so firm and fast, it plays like a classic Scottish links in lovely, warm weather.
“We’re lucky on the European Tour to play so much varied golf, which creates more-rounded golfers, whereas on the PGA Tour, I just think it can be a bit one-dimensional at times.”