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Walk in park for Dredge while Garcia gears up for Ryder glory

David Davies
Monday 11 September 2006 00:00 BST
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In the end it was just a walk in a very pretty park. Bradley Dredge, here on one of the most scenic courses in the world, strolled away from the field in the final round of the Omega European Masters, to win by eight shots from Francesco Molinari and Marcel Siem.

Dredge, the second Welshman to win on tour this year - Stephen Dodd took the European Open - shot a four-under 67 for a total of 17-under, and his second win on Tour.

The previous one was the Madeira Island Open in 2003, when he fired a blistering 60, but in the 90 events he has played since, 16 top-10 finishes have helped him to win more than £2.7m. Dredge was delighted and disappointed. He birdied the first three holes, reaching the long first in two and then holing what he called "really good putts, right in the middle of the hole" on the second and third. "That set me up."

He went on to reach 18-under with two par-fives to come. But some poor second shots dismissed the possibility of a 63, which would have been the round of the week, was gone.

Despite the winner's score being "only" 17-under, Sergio Garcia, of Spain, was among those who were impressed with Dredge's play. The defending champion, finished nine shots back, and said: "The course has been playing tough, although Bradley is not showing it. To shoot 17-under is pretty impressive."

As for himself, Garcia feels that he is in good ball-striking form with the Ryder Cup only two weeks away. His putting, as ever, is a problem. "I had a good chance to go to 10-under on the seventh and pushed the putt. That killed me. I went flat. At nine and 10 I didn't know what I was doing. But I played the last few well."

Garcia will now go home to Valencia and prepare for the Ryder Cup. He has a home in Crans and could stay here, but said: "I don't think practising at this altitude would help. I'm not going to be hitting 387-yard drives in the Ryder Cup."

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