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**truebluefan** · 02-18-2008, 12:00 AM

Discuss in here.

**truebluefan** · 03-20-2008, 10:36 AM

Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd will attempt to keep the smile on the face of Welsh sport this week when they return to the country of one of their greatest triumphs to compete in the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal at Santo da Serra.

The feel-good factor in the Principality – which began when little Cardiff City reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup two weeks ago – continued last weekend when the nation’s rugby team beat France to capture the Grand Slam in the annual Six Nations tournament.

Now the sporting baton is passed to Dredge and Dodd who will return to Portugal aiming to recapture the form which won them the World Cup for Wales at Oceânico Victoria Golf Club in Vilamoura in 2005.

The trip will be particularly poignant for Dredge, for it was on the mountainous Santo da Serra course in 2003 that he claimed his first European Tour title by a whopping eight stroke margin, the groundwork for the victory laid by his sensational third round 60 which was only denied a place in the record books by the preferred lies in operation that day.

Talk of firsts is, of course, appropriate in the realm of the tournament because it has seen the launch of many promising careers with four of the last eight champions – Niclas Fasth (2000), Dredge (2003), Chris Hanell (2004) and last year’s winner Daniel Vancsik – recording their first European Tour success on the island.

However, it is not only the young who prosper on Madeira, for the record books also show that in 2001, Irishman Des Smyth triumphed at 48 years and 34 days, a record for the oldest player to win on The European Tour, which stands to this day.

Vancsik, like Dredge in 2003, was in total command of the tournament last season before finishing seven shots clear of runners-up David Frost and Santiago Luna; one of the many highlights of a superb golfing year for Argentina.

Leading the way was, of course, Angel Cabrera with his victory in the US Open Championship, but he was joined by Ariel Canete in the Joburg Open in South Africa, Andres Romero in The Players’ Championship of Europe in Germany and Vancsik, representing the first time in history that four different Argentine golfers had triumphed in the same season on The European Tour.

Vancsik holed 21 birdie putts and one eagle putt over the four days 12 months ago on his way to a winning 18 under par aggregate of 270 and, although the 31 year old from Posadas will not be in the field for this year’s tournament, he outlined the key element the man who follows him onto the Roll of Honour will need to master.

“Definitely the secret to playing well at Santo da Serra is where you place the ball on the greens,” he said. “If you can manage to get the ball on the right side of the pin you will find you will have chances for birdie and then it is just a matter of how many you are able to take.

“If you misclub or go too far and find yourself past the pin then it is a different story – the putts then will be really fast and tricky. Thankfully I got it right most of the time last year and the win has changed everything for my career both in terms of the opportunities I now have and also how confident I feel about my game.”

**truebluefan** · 03-20-2008, 10:37 AM

Former champion Bradley Dredge goes into this week's Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal knowing a second win in the event would almost certainly earn a passport to Augusta National for the Masters Tournament.

The 34 year old Welshman lies 72nd on the Official World Golf Ranking and is the highest ranked player competing at the Santo da Serra course.

In 2003, Dredge shot a 60 on the way to victory at the mountainside venue. Another triumph would secure the 24 world ranking points he needs to move into the world's top 50.

He would then need to hang on to his top 50 place at the end of next week's MAPFRE Open de Andalucia by Valle Romano to clinch his Masters ticket.

“I've been practising really hard over the last two weeks so I'm hopeful of playing really well this week and next week in order to earn my start in the Masters," he said.

"Playing in the Masters is such an achievement,” added Dredge who finished in a tie for 44th place on his debut in Georgia last year. “Playing at Augusta is just an amazing experience and I hope to do it again this year."

Dredge narrowly missed out on a place in this week's corresponding event on The European Tour International Schedule across the Atlantic, the World Golf Championships - CA Championship.

“Missing out on Doral was a real shame," he said. "I'm feeling quite confident about my game. I have a very positive attitude at the moment."

Dredge's likely title rivals this week are his fellow Welshman Stephen Dodd, England’s John Bickerton, Paul Lawrie of Scotland and Chilean Felipe Aguilar, while the host nation’s hopes will doubtless rest on the shoulders of José-Filipe Lima.

Bickerton benefited from a late collapse by Ernie Els in December to win the Alfred Dunhill Championship while Aguilar won last month's Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open.

Last season Lawrie showed signs of regaining the form that won him the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie while Dodd and Dredge combined to capture the World Cup for Wales in Portugal – at Vilamoura – in 2005.

**truebluefan** · 03-22-2008, 12:53 AM

Sven Strüver showed his liking once again for mountainous layouts by taking the lead in the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal at Santo da Serra.

The German’s last European Tour victory was a decade ago in the mountains of Switzerland when he claimed the 1998 European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre and he gave another virtuoso performance in the hilltops of Madeira to grab pole position.

The 40 year old carded an excellent six under par 66 to grab a one shot lead over South African Hennie Otto with four players – Swedes Peter Gustafsson and Fredrik Widmark and Frenchmen Grégory Bourdy and Michael Lorenzo-Vera – a further shot adrift.

“I got ahead of myself a little bit at the end and struggled to save par on a couple of occasions,” he said. “It shouldn’t really happen but on the other hand I haven’t been in this position for a long time even though I was in the last group in South Africa this year (the Joburg Open), I hadn’t been there for ten years.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 03-22-2008, 12:54 AM

He might have been clad in new clothes after the airlines lost his luggage, but it was very much the old Hennie Otto who stormed to the front in the weather-affected second round of the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal.

The 31 year old South African – who led The 2003 Open Championship at Royal St George’s after the first round – appeared to be playing a different course from the rest of the field at wind-lashed Santo da Serra as his second consecutive 67 gave him pole position on a hugely impressive ten under par total of 134.

Clad in a polo shirt, sweater and trousers he had to purchase from the club shop as his suitcase continues to circle around the myriad of lost luggage offices at Heathrow Airport in London, Otto shrugged off the two and a half hour delay to play caused by the high winds which moved golf balls on both tees and greens to produce some imperious golf.

Nearest challengers to finish their second rounds were South African-based Brazilian Adilson da Silva whose 68 gave him a five under par total of 139 while one shot behind that lay Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth who posted his second consecutive 70 for a four under par total of 140.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 03-23-2008, 02:42 PM

Saturday might traditionally be known as ‘Moving Day’ at golf tournaments but nothing could have been further from the truth in Madeira as tournament leader Hennie Otto maintained his stranglehold on the top of the leaderboard.

The 31 year old South African, looking for his first victory on The European Tour International Schedule, began the third round of the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal four shots clear of the field and ended the day five ahead thanks to his third consecutive 67 on the Santo da Serra course which gave him a 15 under par total of 201.

The only thing which did change on the most pleasant afternoon weather-wise of the week were his nearest challengers.

At the start of the third round, his closest pursuers were Germany’s Sven Strüver and Fredrik Widmark of Sweden and although they both maintained their position in the top ten going into the final day, it was Scotland’s Alastair Forsyth and Gary Clark of England who emerged in Otto’s wing mirrors from the pack.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 03-23-2008, 02:43 PM

Twelve years after he beat him in a play-off for the Scottish Amateur Stroke Play title, Alastair Forsyth once again got the better of Hennie Otto in an extra hole drama to win the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal title.

On a thrilling final day at Santo da Serra where the golf was as hot as the fog and rain which periodically interrupted play was cold, Forsyth grabbed his second European Tour title with a birdie three at the first extra hole after both players had ended the tournament on 15 under par 273.

It was a huge difference to their first play-off meeting in the amateur ranks which took place at Cardross in 1996 and which went to nine extra holes before the Scot triumphed. But it did continue Forsyth’s exemplary play-off record – for his maiden European Tour title in 2002 also came in extra holes when he beat Stephen Leaney to win the Malaysian Open.

For Forsyth it was further proof that the work he continues to do with Bob Torrance – coach to the reigning Open Champion Padraig Harrington amongst others – is moving his game in the right direction despite his worst start to a season on The European Tour; ie missing his first five cuts of the year before this week.

Complete article

**truebluefan** · 03-24-2008, 01:43 PM

Twelve years after he beat him in a play-off for the Scottish Amateur Stroke Play title, Alastair Forsyth once again got the better of Hennie Otto in an extra hole drama to win the Madeira Islands Open BPI – Portugal title.

On a thrilling final day at Santo da Serra where the golf was as hot as the fog and rain which periodically interrupted play was cold, Forsyth grabbed his second European Tour title with a birdie three at the first extra hole after both players had ended the tournament on 15 under par 273.

It was a huge difference to their first play-off meeting in the amateur ranks which took place at Cardross in 1996 and which went to nine extra holes before the Scot triumphed. But it did continue Forsyth’s exemplary play-off record – for his maiden European Tour title in 2002 also came in extra holes when he beat Stephen Leaney to win the Malaysian Open.

For Forsyth it was further proof that the work he continues to do with Bob Torrance – coach to the reigning Open Champion Padraig Harrington amongst others – is moving his game in the right direction despite his worst start to a season on The European Tour; ie missing his first five cuts of the year before this week.

Complete article