No let-up from leader Dredge. Welshman on course for wire-to-wire victory in the BMW International Open. Cejka and Kaymer promise assault on the leaderboard.

Munich. Bradley Dredge’s progress towards the BMW International Open title continues unabated. The 36-year-old successfully defended his lead on the third day of Germany’s only professional tournament in Eichenried near Munich. After following up his opening-round 64 with a 67 on the second day, he produced another 67 on Saturday to give him an 18 under par total of 198 – and a three-shot cushion over England’s Ross Fisher and Simon Thornton (Ireland).

“I’m obviously really pleased with my position going into the final day,” beamed Dredge, who has won two tournaments in his 13 years on the European Tour. “But on this course there’ll always be somebody who shoots a low score, so I’m going to attack wherever possible.” And that means banishing all memories of a recent disappointment; in Qatar earlier in the season he also led for three rounds before dropping back to fifth place on the final day. 

The 10,300 spectators at the course saw the four surviving German players experience mixed fortunes on “moving day”, as a tournament Saturday is known in the trade. While Marcel Siem and Bernhard Langer conceded any chance of a finish at the sharp end of the leaderboard, Martin Kaymer carded a round of 69 and Alex Cejka a 67 to keep themselves very much in the hunt for a strong finish. Indeed, the 15th-placed Cejka still has a slim chance of victory. 

At 11 under par Cejka needs to make up seven shots on Dredge. “I’ll have to come in at eight or nine under,” he speculated. “But that’s not out of the question if I play as well as I did today, stick to my strategy and make a few putts.”

Cejka holed a total of five birdies and did not drop a single shot over his 18 holes. “I’ve made a good move up the field,” he said. Only a birdie-free last five holes stood between Cejka and an even better day’s work, and the 39-year-old acknowledges he is in fine form. “I’m on a good run and just hope I can keep it going,” he said.

Like Cejka, Kaymer made an excellent start, racking up four birdies in his opening 11 holes. He then dropped two shots later on in the round before recovering to add another birdie at the last. Taking out his driver on the fairway of the par-5 18th he stunned the watching galleries by lashing his second shot over 288 yards (263 metres). “I had to make birdie to keep myself in with a chance of finishing in the top five on Sunday,” he explained, relieved that the risk had ultimately paid off. 

Elsewhere, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Australia’s Danny Lee shared round-of-the-day plaudits, each shooting a 65, while Langer and Siem returned to the clubhouse having failed to break par. The two Germans will start the final day in 57th and 63rd place respectively.

At least one German victory this weekend is already in the bag. Cejka and his third-round playing partner, Englishman Paul Casey, followed up their rounds on Saturday with a “penalty shoot-out” on the putting green to set the scene for Sunday’s crunch World Cup football match between England and Germany. Each player had five putts, with Cejka eventually winning 3-2. The BMW International Open is scheduled to finish at 15.45 on Sunday to allow the players and spectators to watch the football at the course. And that means the first players teeing off at 06.30.