THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWPORT — Chris Wood led the Wales Open after shooting a record-equaling 6-under 65 in the Wales Open over the Ryder Cup course at Celtic Manor on Thursday.
However, although Wood lives just 30 kilometres from the course just over the English border in Bristol, his six-birdie and bogey-free round failed to attract local support.
That was concentrated on Welshmen Bradley Dredge and Rhys Davies, with the golfing public in Wales desperate to see one of their own qualify for the European Ryder Cup team in October.
After a poor season in which he has managed only one top-five finish, at the Qatar Masters in January, Dredge has much work to do to fulfil those wishes.
He made a good start in his home championship with a 66 to share second place with Andrew Doht, the Australian winner of this year’s Avantha Masters in India.
Although just 25 and in his rookie season on the European Tour, Davies’ chances of a Ryder Cup debut appear to be increasing by the month.
He earned his maiden European victory in March at the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco, and finished second in the Madrid Masters last weekend to move up to ninth place in the Race to Dubai money list.
He shot a 4-under 67 after lunch when a swirling breeze made club selection and low scoring a far more difficult proposition.
While keeping a bogey off his card Davies said he had been lifted by the largest galleries, but at the same time he ignored the Ryder Cup issue.
"I am not thinking about it," he insisted. "There’s a lot of golf to be played between now and October and my agenda is to win more golf tournaments. If I do that then money lists and ranking points will take care of themselves."
Among the other afternoon starters, England’s Ross McGowan launched the strongest assault on Wood’s lead, moving to 5 under with a span of six birdies in eight holes from the fifth.
He fell back, however, at the 377-yard par-four 15th hole, where players are tempted to cut out a sharp right-hand dogleg and drive over trees and rough uphill direct to the green.
McGowan, for whom a victory this weekend would take him past the $1.8 million earnings mark to almost certainly earn an automatic Ryder Cup place, took on the challenge.
However, his ball caught the top of a tree and dropped into deep rough where it could not be found. McGowan ran up a double bogey and eventually had to settle for a 1-under 70.
Alongside Davies at 4-under were France’s Raphael Jacquelin, England’s Richard McEvoy and Italian Edoardo Molinari.
Spain’s Alvaro Quiros achieved a hole in a one with a 200-yard six iron at the par-three third hole but otherwise had a quiet day with a level 71.