Dredge secures first Tour title at Madeira Island
IN: News | European PGA | Madeira Island Open (2003) | Wrap | by Bruce Young | 24 Mar 2003
Welshman Bradley Dredge may look like an overnight success, however, it has taken him almost ten years to secure his first Tour victory.
After a glittering amateur career where he was runner up in the British Amateur in 1992 and a Walker Cup player in 1993, he eventually turned pro in 1996 and in 1998 gained access to the European Tour by finishing 15th on the Challenge Tour the previous year. Unfortunately, his time on the main tour lasted just one year, after making just seven cuts in twenty-two events.
He returned to the Challenge Tour and finished eighth in 1999 to once again be chasing the big euros in 2000. Since then, his game has improved dramatically and he went on to make fifteen cuts in twenty-eight starts in 2000, then finished 72nd on the money list in 2001 including a second place at the Italian Open, and in 2002 he finished 18th on the Volvo Order of Merit, where his finishes included a second placing at the European Open.
His win on the Portuguese island of Madeira, however, has highlighted his potential and, although at 29-years-old he may be a slow developer, I feel sure we will see many more victories ahead for the man from Cardiff, Wales. Admittedly this was not a strong field but getting the win under his belt will give him the all-important belief that if he can do it once, he can do it again.
His victory was by eight strokes over Frederik Andersson, Brian Davis and Andrew Marshall.
Lucas Parsons was the only Australian to make the cut and finished in 28th place. He no longer has full status on the main European Tour but has a category that will gain him up to twenty starts this season.
Steve Bowditch made the cut by one stroke but was disqualified for reasons that are not clear to us at this stage.
