Dredge takes second round lead

Wales’ Bradley Dredge, two over par after just one hole of the tournament, today moved into the lead of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Dredge lost a ball on the opening hole of his delayed first round on Friday to run up a double bogey six.

He recovered from that terrible start to card seven birdies and an eagle in a six-under-par 66, one shot behind overnight leaders Michael Campbell and Henrik Stenson.

And two more birdies in his opening 12 holes took the 32-year-old from Cardiff into the lead on eight under par.

US Open champion Campbell and Stenson were among the later starters, but the clubhouse target had already been set by England’s Brian Davis and Scot Steven O’Hara.

Davis, in the first group out at 7.30am local time, added a 67 to his opening 71 for a halfway total of 136, six under par, while former Walker Cup player O’Hara recorded a 70.

But Davis was hugely disappointed to bogey two of the last four holes in damp, overcast conditions at Gut Kaden after playing the first 14 in seven under.

“It looked like being a 64 all day but I hit it into a bush on the 15th, missed a two-footer for birdie on the 17th when it horse-shoed out and then bogeyed the last as well,” said the 30-year-old Londoner, who missed the cut in the Open last week after getting in as a late replacement for the injured David Howell.

“At least it’s not the third round and if someone gets to 11 or 12 under I’ve still got 36 holes tomorrow.”

Dredge dropped his first shot of the day on the 13th but quickly made amends with a birdie on the 15th to remain at the top of the leaderboard.

Stenson was the first of the overnight leaders to start their second rounds, the Swede opening with a par to remain seven under.

A birdie on the 17th gave Dredge a round of 69 and nine under halfway total of 135, setting the clubhouse target for the afternoon starters.

Stenson birdied the third to move within a shot of the lead at eight under, Campbell opening with two pars to remain two shots back.