Dredge leads by one into the weekend

Welshman Bradley Dredge moved closer to a maiden European Tour win when he took the lead at the halfway stage of the Dunhill Championship at the Houghton Golf Club on Friday.

Dredge carded a second round 68 for a 36-hole score of 11-under par 133 in blistering Johannesburg heat. He leads the English pair of Mark Roe and Richard Bland by a stroke after they shot 67 and 65 respectively.

Denmark's Anders Hansen and South Africa's Richard Sterne were a further stroke back at nine-under par 135.

South Africa's Trevor Immelman, who won last week's South African Open, kept himself firmly in the hunt with a 67 to move to eight under.

England's Lee Westwood, the 2000 Order of Merit winner, showed welcome signs of a return to form with a 67 which took him to six under.

Dredge, 29, posted an opening round 65 for a share of the lead, but took the top spot alone after compatriot Stephen Dodd fell three shots off the pace with a 71 in the second round.

Defending champion Justin Rose ensured he comfortably made the cut with a five-under 67 to move to four under for the championship.

Dredge, who had 10 top 10 finishes last season, said: "I'm definitely ready to win. I've had enough near misses now so I will go out on the weekend and not finish second.

"My progress has been a combination of a number of things. I hit the ball straighter now, I'm hitting more fairways and my distance control and short game are getting better. You add all that up and you are going to play better."

Roe, who turns 40 in February, was in good spirits after his second round of 67 in as many days.

"You'll be pleased to hear I did absolutely no practice whatsoever in the winter," he said. "I drank too much, I haven't been in the gym, I haven't watched my diet, but I played lovely."

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