Drysdale makes an unlikely comeback

DAVID DRYSDALE produced a recovery of Lazarus- like proportions yesterday to defy an injury that threatened to end his season prematurely and deprive him of his European Tour card.

The 40 - year- old from Edinburgh opened his Dunhill Links Championship account with a fine 68 at the Old Course — just six days after walking only with the aid of crutches.

Drysdale tore his right calf muscle coming out of a bunker during the third round of the Italian Open a fortnight ago when the sand collapsed under his feet and was transported through Milan and Heathrow airports by wheelchair.

But daily treatment by ex-Scotland rugby team physio Stuart Barton and regular dips in the freezing waters of the North Sea at Pease Bay, near his Cockburnspath home, enabled him to line up in the £3.3million tournament.

‘I thought Stuart was joking when he told me to go in the sea,’ said Drysdale.

‘But the resistance of the water and the cold has done my leg the world of good.

‘I’ve had acupuncture as well and now I’ve got my calf strapped up with tape and a tight bandage, and I can’t even feel it.’

Drysdale didn’t hit a ball until Tuesday, when he played nine holes at Kingsbarns. ‘ Given I was still on crutches l ast Friday, it’s been an incredible turnaround,’ he said.

He was 114th in the Race to Dubai when he sustained the injury but has since slipped a further seven places, 11 short of retaining his card.

‘It’s been a fight to get fit for this week and it will be a fight to keep my card,’ he said. ‘But one good performance will do it.’

Drysdale is four shorts behind the leading trio of Irishman Paul Dunne, who aced the 15th, England’s Jimmy Mullen and Swede Kristoffer Broberg.

Stephen Gallacher is top Scot after a 67 on the Old Course.