David Drysdale 'gutted' over Qatar Masters play-off defeat as title wait goes on

David Drysdale shaves the hole with a putt at the 72nd hole to win the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in his 498th appearance on the European Tour before losing at the fifth extra hole to Spaniard Jorge Campillo. Picture: Getty Images

Playing in his 498th event on the circuit, the 44-year-old from Cockburnspath lost out to Spaniard Jorge Campillo at the fifth extra hole at Education City Golf Club in Doha after making up three shots in the last three holes to force the play-off.

Drysdale, who is in his 19th season on the main tour, shaved the hole with a 15-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole for the win before seeing Campillo convert long birdie putts at the first two extra holes then another one to clinch victory.

It was heartbreaking stuff in the end for Drysdale, who hit good shot after good shot in the play-off to pile pressure on Campillo only to see his long wait for that elusive first trophy extended.

"I'm a bit gutted at the moment," Drysdale, speaking from an airport lounge in Doha, told The Scotsman. "I don't know what you've got to do to win a golf tournament, to be honest.

"I hit so many good shots in that play-off, but Jorge holed everything he looked at in it. He knocked in 20 and 30-footers, phew! It was just amazing.

"I just wish I could get my putt back at the 72nd hole. I had it again in the first play-off hole and it just broke a bit more left to right than I thought.

"I don't know if I will ever get a win out here after that, but, given the golf I've played the last 14 months or so, you have got to take the positives out of it and got to be happy.

"I'm sitting here in the airport lounge with a large whisky in my hand thinking I should be sitting here with the trophy, but anyway...

"We'll head on to Dubai for a week's practice, then box on to India and try again there. It's nice to be showing a bit form as I have been playing rubbish the last 14 months."

It was the fourth time Drysdale had finished runner-up in his European Tour career, the others having come in the 2006 Russian Open, the 2009 Andalucia Open and the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Championship.

"It's not really on your mind as that's the last thing you want to think about," he added of trying to make that breakthrough at long last.

"You don't want to get ahead of yourself and it's the old cliche of trying to hit one shot at a time.

"I didn't play particularly well in the final round, but, when I had to stand up over the final few holes and also in the play-off, I felt I hit good shots.

"I think this has shown me that I can hit the shots under pressure to win a golf tournament. That sounds a bit weird, I suppose, given that I didn't win.

"In my career, I haven't really been asked that question. I've had three seconds in the past and had chances, but I think today proved I can hit good golf shots and I just need to maybe tidy up the putting a bit.

"I told you when we last spoke that I didn't want to get to 500 events without a win and this was a proper opportunity. I've got one more before I get to 500."

As he battled away in the final round in the Middle East, it seemed as though Drysdale had the whole of Scotland behind him.

"It is great to have lots of support," he said of that. "It's cool and I need to start getting back to people to thank them for that. It's a shame I didn't win, but Jorge played great in the play-off."

It would have been an extra special win for Drysdale due to his wife Vicky being alongside him as caddie, the pair having worked well together for two and a bit years now.

"She's fantastic. She was brilliant today and all week, in fact. She's chilled out and so relaxed," he said of that partnership.