Drysdale targets tournament win

David Drysdale has targeted winning a tournament after sealing his Tour card and cementing his place as the leading Scottish golfer on the European Tour.

The 34-year-old is the only Scot in the top 60 and will compete in the Dubai World Championship on Thursday.

"There's a fine line between success and failure. Luckily, I've been on the right side of it this year," he said.

Fellow Scots Andrew Coltart and Scott Drummond have lost their Tour cards and face qualifying school.

Drysdale expressed relief at securing his card and revealed the stress players were under on the greens with their livelihoods at stake.

"There's a fine line between having a very successful year and finishing top-50 in the Order of Merit to actually losing your Tour card," he told BBC Scotland.

It's not one tournament, it's your entire livelihood on the line - so it's big pressure David Drysdale

"Any given day, you can outplay the best players in the world and it does make you think how they do so well and how I've often struggled on the European Tour for six or seven seasons."

Drysdale said competing in qualifying school "wasn't much fun" and recalled an anecdote from fellow Scot Coltart.

"I remember Andrew going to Tour school last year and telling me he pegged it up against Tiger Woods in the singles at the Ryder Cup but he's never felt more nervous than he did in the last day of Tour school," he said.

"So that really puts it into perspective about how big a deal it is. It's not one tournament, it's your entire livelihood on the line - so it's big pressure.

"If I thought I wasn't good enough, I would've given up.

"I've sometimes made cuts by birdying the last hole and ended up in the top 10, picking up a substantial cheque.

"Whereas, if you hadn't birdied that last hole, you're gone and earning nothing; that's how fine the line is. A top 10 to away home on a Friday night."

Drysdale said his target was to win a tournament but that he had not given much thought to securing qualification for Europe's Ryder Cup team.

"It would be fantastic to play in the Ryder Cup, but it's a long way off," he said.