Dodd no longer flying under the radar
IN: News | European PGA | Smurfit Kappa European Open (2006) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 10 Jul 2006
Stephen Dodd might not be one of the high profile players on the European Tour but his win today in the Smurfit European Open, now has him on the verge of Ryder Cup calculations and the anonymity that he has in the main played under might now be a thing of the past.
This was Dodd's third European Tour win in the past fifteen months, a period that has finally seen the emergence of the player, who seventeen years ago won the British Amateur Championship and played in a winning Walker Cup in 1989.
In tough and windy conditions, Dodd struggled on the front nine today but so did most of his nearest challengers. As he made the turn, Dodd was still trailing the overnight leader, Jose Manuel Lara, by two but as the Spaniard fell apart early on the back nine, Dodd took control and by the 14th hole he had stolen what would turn out to be the winning break.
Dodd has now moved into a situation where another good week or two between now and when the European Ryder Cup Team is named, after the USPGA Championship, could well have him to the forefront in either automatic or Captain's pick possibilities.
As the tournament entered its closing stages there was more than just a lot of money at stake for those challenging for a top three finish. Lara and Anthony Wall were locked in not only a battle for second place but the chance to claim the one spot available from this event for the Open Championship in a week's time was also up for grabs.
Anthony Wall holed a lengthy putt at the last and gained the place at Hoylake based on his superior last round total. To that point it would have been Lara's as he had had the better third round if it had become necessary for a further countback.
Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood produced great weekend performances to move from the cut line into a five way tie for fourth with Simon Khan, Jeev Milkha Singh and Graeme Storm.
Colin Montgomerie did his Open Championship chances no harm when finishing 9th but Darren Clarke lost a great chance to please his many supporters from across the border when a last round of 76 saw him slip form 3rd to 15th.
The best of the Australians were again Peter O'Malley and Richard Green who shared 20th, Peter Senior who was 56th and Marcus Fraser not able to follow up his great week in France 66th.
The European Tour now moves back across the Irish Sea to Scotland for this week's Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
