Marc Warren lying joint eighth in Qatar Masters

Joint leaders Bradley Dredge (left) and Paul Casey (right) in action at the Qatar Masters today.

Casey and Dredge leaders of the pack

By ALAN EWENS

British pair Paul Casey and Bradley Dredge go into the final day of the US$ 2.5 million Commercialbank Qatar Masters, Presented by Dolphin Energy (today) tied on ten-under par with just four shots separating the top ten.
Although world number nine Casey admitted before the tournament that the course at Doha Golf Club didn’t suit him visually, he seemed to be well focused as he stormed through the field with a near-flawless round of 66 (-6) that saw him storm to the top of the leaderboard alongside Welshman Dredge who carded a 70(-2).
“I think it's my best round around this golf course in four years of trying, so I can't say anything bad about it,” smiled Casey after a round of seven birdies was spoiled by a bogey on the notoriously difficult fifteenth hole. “Three times I have missed the cut so to be sitting here at the top of the leaderboard makes me smile.”
“Tomorrow is just a case of going out and having fun and giving myself as many opportunities to make birdies as I can. If somebody starts playing great golf and I need to react to that and maybe force the issue, then I'll go for things a little bit. But I've had a good game plan on where to hit it and what to hit off every tee, and I'm just going to stick with that.”
For Dredge, it’s a welcome return to the top of the leaderboard and the Welshman is determined to stay there with vital world ranking points at stake and a shot at a place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team in mind.
“Making a Ryder Cup in Wales is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” he said. “There’s no reason to think I can’t make the team but there are probably 150 other guys who think the same. There are players like Paul Casey, Lee Westwood, Rory McIllroy and Padraig Harrington who will form the base of the team but it’s up to me to play well and try and grab a place.”
Dredge’s hard work over the winter season seems to be paying off but the final round will see a whole host of others believing they can win the $416,600 first prize as well as the world ranking points on offer. Among them is world number four Lee Westwood in third place just one shot off the leaders despite suffering a broken driver mid-way through his round.
“I think on the tenth tee, I may have smashed the face of the driver - I looked at it and it had a crack there on the face so that one is gone,” said Westwood after a third round 70 (-2). A replacement driver proved difficult to get used to but the European number 1 remains firmly in contention going into the final day.
“I'm obviously only one behind, so it's a good position to be in and tomorrow I’ll try and come out and have a fresh start and get on a roll,” he added.
Also still in the hunt is overnight leader Brett Rumford (73) who holds joint fourth place with Robert Karlsson (70) on eight under par, while defending champion Alvaro Quiros and England’s Oliver Wilson are a shot further behind on seven under, one stroke ahead of Richard Bland, Marc Warren and world number 19 Retief Goosen.
Goosen – a winner here in 2007 – made a big move through the field with a morning round of 66 (-6) but the South African believes it should have been so much better.
“There comes a time when you know you had a chance for a really low round but overall I’m very happy although it means I am going to have to shoot something under 65 to have a chance to win,” he said after carding seven birdies in what were superb playing conditions with little wind.
But while it was a good day at the office for one former champion, for 2006 Qatar winner Henrik Stenson it’s a day he will want to forget – a five over par 77 ended his interest in a second crown, while America’s Kenny Perry fired a 71 (-1) to finish the day some eleven shots behind the leader.

Leaders after round three:

Par 216 (3x72)

1 Bradley DREDGE WAL 67 69 70 206
1 Paul CASEY ENG 71 69 66 206
3 Lee WESTWOOD ENG 68 69 70 207
4 Robert KARLSSON SWE 68 70 70 208
4 Brett RUMFORD AUS 69 66 73 208
6 Alvaro QUIROS ESP 71 70 68 209
6 Oliver WILSON ENG 67 70 72 209
8 Retief GOOSEN RSA 73 71 66 210
8 Marc WARREN SCO 71 71 68 210
8 Richard BLAND ENG 74 69 67 210
11 Niclas FASTH SWE 70 68 73 211
12 David HORSEY ENG 74 69 69 212
12 Graeme MCDOWELL NIR 73 67 72 212
12 Peter HANSON SWE 70 69 73 212
12 Sergio GARCIA ESP 70 70 72 212
12 Charl SCHWARTZEL RSA 70 69 73 212
12 Gonzalo FERNANDEZ-CASTAÑO ESP 74 71 67 212
12 Chris WOOD ENG 75 68 69 212
12 Camilo VILLEGAS COL 70 72 70 212
20 Shane LOWRY IRL 71 70 72 213
20 Ignacio GARRIDO ESP 72 68 73 213
20 Peter LAWRIE IRL 72 68 73 213
20 Thomas BJÖRN DEN 73 70 70 213
24 Nick DOUGHERTY ENG 72 71 71 214
24 Simon DYSON ENG 73 71 70 214
24 Ross FISHER ENG 70 73 71 214
24 Pablo LARRAZÁBAL ESP 75 70 69 214
28 Ricardo GONZALEZ ARG 72 72 71 215
28 Peter HEDBLOM SWE 73 72 70 215
28 Danny WILLETT ENG 76 68 71 215
28 Edoardo MOLINARI ITA 73 72 70 215
28 Louis OOSTHUIZEN RSA 72 72 71 215
28 Richard FINCH ENG 74 67 74 215
28 Sam HUTSBY ENG 72 71 72 215
28 Marcel SIEM GER 68 75 72 215
28 Hennie OTTO RSA 71 74 70 215
28 Stephen GALLACHER SCO 75 70 70 215
28 Martin KAYMER GER 74 70 71 215
28 Mark BROWN NZL 76 68 71 215
40 Raphaël JACQUELIN FRA 74 71 71 216
40 Søren HANSEN DEN 75 69 72 216
42 Thomas LEVET FRA 75 71 71 217
42 François DELAMONTAGNE FRA 71 73 73 217
42 Thongchai JAIDEE THA 75 70 72 217
42 Kenny PERRY USA 74 72 71 217
42 Stephen DODD WAL 75 70 72 217
42 Gareth MAYBIN NIR 71 74 72 217
42 Michael HOEY NIR 74 72 71 217
42 Anthony KANG USA 73 70 74 217
50 Mikko ILONEN FIN 74 69 75 218
50 Robert-Jan DERKSEN NED 71 72 75 218

50 Alexander NOREN SWE 68 76 74 218
50 Mikael LUNDBERG SWE 71 73 74 218
50 Danny LEE NZL 73 73 72 218
50 Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ ESP 72 70 76 218
50 Richie RAMSAY SCO 70 73 75 218
57 John BICKERTON ENG 74 72 73 219
57 Maarten LAFEBER NED 78 68 73 219
57 Shiv KAPUR IND 74 72 73 219
57 Søren KJELDSEN DEN 74 72 73 219
61 Joakim HAEGGMAN SWE 77 69 74 220
62 Richard GREEN AUS 74 72 75 221
62 Simon KHAN ENG 76 69 76 221
62 Henrik STENSON SWE 75 69 77 221
65 Anders HANSEN DEN 71 75 76 222
65 Shaun MICHEEL USA 73 71 78 222
65 Jyoti RANDHAWA IND 77 69 76 222
65 Christian NILSSON SWE 74 72 76 222