Farsø (Denmark) (AFP) – Welshman Bradley Dredge will take a slender one-shot lead into the final day of the Made in Denmark event in Farso, after settling for a one-over-par third round of 72 on Saturday.
The 43-year-old led by three overnight from Swede Joakim Lagergren, but slipped back towards the chasing pack with a bogey on the 18th green and is now atop the leaderboard on 12 under par overall.
Thomas Pieters, who is hoping to earn a wildcard pick for the Ryder Cup from European captain Darren Clarke, is only one stroke adrift in a tie for second place with American David Lipsky and Spaniard Adrian Otaegui.
Lagergren, playing alongside Dredge, also took a five on the par-four last and is two behind in fifth place.
Dredge, who briefly lost his tour card in 2012 and is without a European Tour title since 2006, started solidly before a birdie at the par-five 11th strengthened his position, but a double bogey at the next hole put a spanner in the works.
Despite a third birdie of the day at 14, the bogey on his 54th hole of the week leaves the tournament wide open going into Sunday’s final round.
But Dredge will be confident of converting this chance into a victory, having finished sixth and second in the two previous editions of this event.
The competition at the Himmerland Golf Resort is the last with points available in the chase for automatic places for Clarke’s team to play in the Ryder Cup matches that start at Hazeltine next month.
But it is Belgian Pieters who is impressing most, despite finishing second in the Czech Masters last week when he needed to defend the title to stay in automatic contention.
Instead there will be plenty of calls for the 24-year-old to be given a captain’s pick by Northern Irishman Clarke, after another impressive display so far in Scandinavia.
He could yet claim a fourth European Tour title, after a two-under-par 69 saw him into that trio tied for second.
Two-time major champion Martin Kaymer made the biggest move on Saturday.
The German signed for a five-under-par 66 to launch himself to within four strokes of Dredge at eight under overall.
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