Fisher gives chase as Dredge leads BMW International Open

Wales’ Bradley Dredge took a giant step towards a first European Tour event win in 4 years with a third-round 67 at the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenreid.

Chasing a Ryder Cup debut on native soil at The Celtic Manor in Wales in October, Dredge’s third round total saw him take a three shot lead into the final round. England’s Ross Fisher and Ireland’s Simon Thornton are Dredge’s nearest pursuers; the pair tied together on 15-under par.

Dredge had extended a one-shot overnight advantage to four shots by playing the front nine in 33, which included a 50-foot chip-in on the first hole but saw that lead cut to one stroke as Fisher started his inward run with birdie-eagle. Dredge responded with birdies on the 11th and 13th holes before making par on the remainder to post his bogey-free round. Dredge had carded just one bogey in his 54 holes played so far..

Thornton, a Qualifying School graduate has never posted a top-10 finish on the European Tour but carded a third successive 67 to tie for second place with Ross Fisher, who like Dredge is chasing a Ryder Cup spot. Fisher shot a second straight 66 to keep the pressure on Dredge.

“Somebody said at the start that you’d take four 67s this week – and there’s three of them. I’ve never been in the final group before and I’m looking forward to it.” Thornton told reporters afterwards.

Fisher, like Dredge, is also seeking to end a losing streak dating back to the Volvo World Match Play in Spain last November and has suffered a quiet season to date, and missed the cut at last week’s US Open at Pebble Beach.

Scotland’s former Open Championship winner Paul Lawrie is one shot further back in fourth following a 68.

Sunday’s play gets underway early with the final trio of Dredge, Fisher and Thornton teeing off just before 11am so that play finishes before the World Cup clash between Germany and England, which will be shown on the big screens at the course.

Italy win the World Cup in China

For the second time in as many weeks, Rory McIlroy suffered a bout of seconditis as he and playing partner Graeme McDowell fell short of the finish line. This time it was the Omega Mission Hills World World Cup that eluded the young Irisman’s grasp.

The Irish pair had attempted to lead the field from the front after a blistering first-round of 58 but were unable to match that opening day feat. However, a run of four consecutive birdies appeared to have consolidated their advantage over the field before bogeys on the eighth and tenth holes, coupled with pars on the ninth and eleventh holes opened the door for their challengers.

And it was the Italian pair of Franciso and Edoardo Molinari who stepped through to win the World Cup for the first time – at least in golf. The duo also became the first set of brothers to win the event and round off a memorable season for both men; one in which had seen Francisco claim nine top-10 finishes on the European Tour and Edoardo top the Challenge Tour standings.

The Swedish pairing of Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson had led the tournament in the later stages and had had chances to win. Still in front on the 18th, they found themselves with a long putt for par which cruelly lipped-out the hole leaving the Italians a three-footer to win after Franciso had produced a long greenside bunker recovery to land almost dead at the hole. Edoardo gleefully took the chance, and rolled in the winning putt to seal the historic win.

Like McIlroy, Karlsson again tasted the runners-up spot for the second time, and again it was Edoardo who pipped him to the post; Edoardo having beat Karlsson in a play-off to win the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan.

Sweden finished the tournament in a tie for second place with Ireland. England’s pair of Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher took fourth spot, while the Scots took the wooden spoon, finishing last of the 28 competing nations.

Sergio to represent Spain in World Cup

Sergio Garcia will lead Spain into November’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup, to be played between 26th and 29th at the Jose Maria Olazabal-designed Mission Hills Golf Club, China.

With the 18 exempt nations now confirmed for the event, Garcia will represent his country at Mission Hills for the first time, while it will be his fourth attempt in all at capturing the World Cup. Garcia has also played in 2001, 2004 and 2005 with runner-up the best he has managed so far, which came in his native Spain when partnering Miguel Angel Jiminez.

The field for the World Cup is selected through each nation’s leading player on the Official World Golf Ranking as it stood on Monday 22nd June. The leading player of each country may select any fellow player and countryman providing that player was ranked within the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking as of either 22 June 2009 or August 17, 2009.

However, if there was no other available player from that country within the top 100 on the Rankings on either of the dates, then the exempt player’s partner would be the next highest ranked available player from the same country outside of the top 100 as of August 17. But if there is no other available player from that country within the top 500 on the official world rankings as at August 17, then the exempt player may select any professional player of his choosing from the same country, regardless of the player’s World Ranking.

The deadline for the leading player to select his partner is August 28, 2009.
While Garcia is yet to name his partner for the event, Irishman Rory McIlroy will head Ireland’s challenge for the World Cup, will also make his first appearance at Mission Hills. McIlroy broke into the world’s top 20 this season and he has nominated Graeme McDowall as his partner.

Ian Poulter, who had an Open championship to forget, will represent England for the third successive year. He will be partnered with Ross Fisher, and the pair will hope to better last year’s sixth place.
South Africa will be represented by Rory Sabbatini and countryman Richard Sterne, while one half of the United States entry will be filled by Nick Watney. Two time European Tour winner Martin Kaymer will represent Germany.

Other confirmed nations include Australia (Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby); Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen); India (Jeev Milkha Singh); and Argentina (Andres Romero).

The remaining ten places in the tournament will be completed following Qualifiers to be played in Asia, Europe and South America where three countries will go through from each to join the eighteen exempt nations and China, who automatically qualify as host nation.