Dredge and Dodd claim Welsh win
Up to midday, there had been 39mm of rain compared to 68.22mm for the entire month of November and 134.5mm for the whole of 2005.
From 1961-1990, the average monthly rainfall for November was 86mm. These figures were rushed out yesterday by the Algarve Tourist Board in an obvious desire to prove it’s not always like this in these parts. They had ploughed large sums into the promotion of the event, but instead, it was something of a public relations disaster as the weather caused the abandonment of the fourth round.
Dredge, 32, and the 39 year-old Dodd had taken a two-shot lead over England and Sweden after shooting an 11 under par 61 in Saturday’s fourballs. But with the rain bucketing down overnight and throughout the morning and early afternoon, there was little option but to abandon the remainder of the tournament.
The winners’ press conference was still in progress when what was claimed to be one of the worst typhoons in Portugal’s history lashed Vilamoura and the media were advised not to leave the tent.
Back in 1989 at Las Brisas, Marbella, when the event was decided over 36 holes, they handled it a little differently - we were ordered to evacuate for the very same reason.
The future of the World Cup is assured for at least another 12 months. Next year, it will be held from December 7-10 and while no venue has been officially announced, it is has apparently been earmarked for the Carribbean.
The presence in Vilamoura of JP McManus and Dermot Desmond, owners of the luxurious Sandy Lane hotel and golf resort in Barbados, has aroused speculation that it could be on the way to their magnificent Green Monkey course.
Their friendship with Tiger Woods might well bring about his first appearance in the World Cup since he captured it with David Duval in Hawaii in 2000.
The previous Welsh victory in the World Cup came in 1987 when Ian Woosnam and David Llewellyn triumphed in Hawaii and if the nature of this latest success was less than satisfactory, their three-round total of 189 or 27 under par was a magnificent effort by any standards.
Dodd (who defends his China Open title this week) added the World Cup to the Nissan Irish Open he won at Carton House last May and is enjoying a remarkable upsurge in a career that never saw him finish better than 58th in the order of merit until this year when he came home in 17th. Dredge’s only win on tour came in the Madeira Island Open in 2003 but he’s also enjoyed a successful campaign in 2005 which saw him finish one spot better than his compatriot in the money list.
“World Cup champions? That sounds marvellous to me,” Dredge said. “It is huge for us and for golf in Wales. We don’t play team golf, at least I don’t anyway. It’s the biggest win of my career and a bit more special since we lost the rugby again.”
Dodd, the strong man of the side for much of the three days, said: “Things have definitely changed for me in the last year. The reason why, I’m not sure, but I must be doing something slightly different, otherwise the results wouldn’t have turned around.”
Dodd and Dredge won €600,000 each. Yesterday’s abandonment came as the final blow to Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley who had to settle for a share of 12th place.
They returned an eight-under par 64 in Saturday’s four-balls to move to 16 under par and yet again it should have been several shots better. They were moving nicely until the came to the par five fifth (their 14th) where both men three-putted for a bogey six, a golfing disaster in this kind of format. They each picked up €23,000.
Harrington has one more engagement, the Tiger Woods Challenge in Los Angeles next month, before packing the clubs away for his customary nine-week break.
