Vicky Drysdale says it’s ‘business as usual’ for women caddies in Saudi International
Respecting Saudi Arabian tradition, Drysdale wore an abaya dress she’d bought as she flew in from Dubai on Monday, but it was shorts, a short-sleeved polo shirt and a sun visor as she got down to work at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in preparation for the $3.5 million event.
On the way to the course, it also hadn’t escaped Drysdale’s notice that a film entitled Rise: The Journey of Women in Saudi Arabia is being screened for the first time on Thursday in an exhibition hall in KAEC, close to where Mariah Carey is performing a concert that night.
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Hide Ad“I was always coming,” Drysdale told The Scotsman during a chat on the driving range as David worked with his coach Jamie Gough, brother of former Scotland and Rangers defender Richard. “David and I never thought otherwise, to be honest. As the week has come around, some of the stuff being said about what you can and can’t do probably raised a slight doubt about whether or not I should caddie. But I spoke to Janet Squire, the other female full-time caddie on the European Tour. She’s on the caddie committee and had spoken to lots of people connected to the tournament. They all said that we would be fine here.”
Despite that, some of the women who were on caddying duties in Dubai last week, including Lee Westwood’s girlfriend, Helen Storey, opted out, with very few players, in fact, being accompanied by either wives or partners.
“We were all advised to wear abayas as we got on the plane and got off it,” added Drysdale, who has been on her husband’s bag for more than two years. “That was out of respect. I had bought one and didn’t mind at all having to wear it as we arrived. But I don’t have to worry about wearing it when I am caddying.
“I spoke to a girl when we arrived at the hotel and asked if I had to wear the abaya in that area. But she said, ‘no, I was absolutely fine’. It’s just business as usual. I was a bit apprehensive as I came to the course this morning wearing shorts, but Janet had spoken to David Williams, the tournament director, and she sent a message saying that the Saudi Golf Federation had allowed us to wear shorts on the course.
“There are countries that David and I have been to over the years that you are quite apprehensive going to for the first time as their culture is different to yours. The first time I went to Dubai was in 2002 and it was completely different to what it is now. Dubai is so westernised. Yes, of course, it was a bit of a scary thought thinking about coming here for the first time. It’s like when I went to Qatar for the first time. We weren’t married and they didn’t want us to share a room. We had to get someone from the tournament to sort it out for us and it was fine. It’s their culture and you have to respect that.
“I was aware that it was only last year that women were allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia for the first time, but I saw that a film on the journey of women in Saudi Arabia is being screened where we are staying. I feel fine and I’m here to get on with my job. I’m also getting to see Mariah Carey, so that will be great.”
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has strongly criticised the European Tour for staging the event and players for committing to it, a star-studded field being headed by four of the world’s top five, as well as Masters champion Patrick Reed. Hitting back at Chamblee, Eddie Pepperell has defended his decision to be here, writing in a blog: “The problem with taking a moral approach to us golfers playing in Saudi Arabia this week is that it would lay bare many contradictions of the past. Like, for example, why do we play in China? Or Qatar? Or Turkey?
“Depending on your time scale, you could argue that every country on earth has at some point exemplified the worst that human beings have to offer but, back to 2019, it clearly is true that Saudi Arabia’s human rights record is questionable at best, and appalling to anyone in the West. But should that mean we boycott competing?”