Wales lead hunt for World Cup glory
Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge rose to the occasion magnificently to put Wales on track for victory at golf’s World Cup in Portugal.
England’s David Howell and Luke Donald, favourites before the event and when they led after the first two rounds, now have to come from behind to repeat the win Donald enjoyed with Paul Casey in Seville a year ago.
Dodd and Dredge, ranked 82nd and 75th in the world respectively, fired an 11-under-par 61 – their second of the week – in the third-round fourballs to reach the 27-under mark of 189.
Howell and Donald, ranked 13th and 15th, posted a 63, but they now find themselves two strokes back and alongside Swedes Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth in second place.
The Welsh duo now have their sights firmly fixed on emulating Ian Woosnam and David Llewellyn, who in 1987 beat Scots Sandy Lyle and Sam Torrance in a play-off in Hawaii for the country’s only victory in an event which dates back to 1953.
Dredge, with only one European Tour win in over 180 starts, followed five birdies with an 20-foot eagle putt on the driveable par-four 15th.
Dodd, who a year ago in China ended a 15-year wait for his first tour success, already had three birdies by then, but it was his play over the closing two holes which really proved crucial.
His partner went into water on both of them, but first the 39-year-old from Cardiff found the green in two at the long 17th and two-putted for birdie, then made a solid four down the 463-yard 18th.
Dredge said: “Stephen played fantastically today and I was able to come here when he wasn’t there. We knitted really nicely.
“It’s always nice when we beat England at rugby, so it would be great to beat them at golf.
“Stephen hits it so straight and we get on so well. We’re similar characters in a lot of ways.”
When the laid-back Dodd, who has been to the European Tour qualifying school 10 times, was asked if he was getting excited, Dredge chipped in: “Doddy getting excited?”
Dodd commented: “It was obviously a good day for us. We played great in patches, which is what you need to do in this format.”
Howell, conqueror of Tiger Woods in Shanghai last weekend, was furious with himself for three-putting for par on the 17th.
“Very frustrating – I am struggling to calm down,” said the Swindon golfer. “It was from 45 feet so not a complete debacle, but in this format you have to pick up every shot you can.
“It was two nice shots to get on, but the rest, as they say, is history.”
Donald, woken in the middle of the night by a violent storm, remains optimistic.
“Two shots in foursomes is nothing,” he said. “We are both good putters - we will putt great tomorrow.”
The eight birdies he and Howell had in the first 14 holes were matched by the Welsh in the group behind every time, but after Donald birdied the 15th Dredge stepped in with his eagle and Wales led on their own for the first time.
Sweden matched England's 63 and so the two teams are three strokes ahead of fourth-placed France, represented by Thomas Levet and Raphael Jacquelin.
Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley combined for a 64, but Ireland are joint 12th 11 strokes adrift of Wales, while Scots Stephen Gallacher and Scott Drummond are joint 20th of the 24 teams on 13 under following a 64.
Nobody is likely to feel more pressure on the final day than German Christian Reimbold. Not a member of the European tour, he was called in at the start of the week after Marcel Siem suffered a fall in the shower.
Siem thought he may have broken his wrist, but late on Monday contacted partner Alex Cejka and said he might be able to play. By then, though, his withdrawal had been accepted.
The £11,500 for last place would represent Reimbold’s biggest cheque as a professional, but he and Cejka are in eighth spot.
As with the third round the tee-off times for the final 18 holes has been brought forward because of the danger of bad weather. Wales and England tee off in the last group at 9.30am.
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