Thomas Pieters in the frame for Ryder Cup place with fine showing in Denmark

27 August 2016 04:53

Belgium's Thomas Pieters remains on course to stake his claim for a Ryder Cup wild card in perfect fashion by winning the final qualifying event.

Pieters was fourth in the Olympics and second in the defence of his Czech Masters title last week to force his name into the frame for one of European captain Darren Clarke's three wild cards.

And after carding rounds of 62 and 71 while playing alongside Clarke in the first two rounds of the Made In Denmark tournament, the world number 54 added an adventurous 69 on Saturday to lie just a shot behind leader Bradley Dredge.

Dredge, who finished second at Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort in 2014 and sixth last year, carded a 72 to finish 12 under par, a shot ahead of P ieters, American David Lipsky and Spain's Adrian Otaegui.

"It was not my best day today," said Dredge, whose sole win on the European Tour to date came back in 2006. "I really struggled with the driver, which has been a big strength of mine in the last two days, so it was a tough day and I just had to try and make the most of it to stay in there and hopefully I'll play better tomorrow.

"I always believe that if you want to win a tournament you've got to go out there and win it, so for me I try and play aggressively off the tee and into the pins.

"I was in this situation a couple of years ago and I've been up there a couple of times this year, you know I want to win, that's what I play golf for."

Pieters failed to record a single par in the first six holes, carding four birdies, one bogey and a bizarre double bogey on the par-five fourth, when he found the putting surface in two but then putted off the green.

"S hocker," Pieters said. "I don't know what I was thinking there and made a terrible seven, but fought back and shot 69 which is not bad, but I would have loved to shoot a couple more under par.

"You get mad one second and then (have to play) the next hole. I did a good job because I made two birdies in a row after that. I'm still learning mentally to handle stuff like that, but thought I did a good job today.

"The putts weren't dropping at the end but hopefully tomorrow."

Sweden's Joakim Lagergren is two shots off the lead after dropping three shots in his last four holes, with two-time major winner Martin Kaymer, Ireland's Paul Dunne and Portugal's Ricardo Gouveia another two strokes back.

Kaymer is also hoping to claim a Ryder Cup wild card when they are announced on Tuesday and boosted his case with a 66 which could have been even better after racing to the turn in 30 with four birdies and an eagle.

Source: PA