GWENT golfer Bradley Dredge has an American dream - to hoist himself up the world rankings and into Augusta contention.

The 29-year-old Blackwood-raised star can from nowhere to elevate himself to 18th in the European Tour Order of Merit in 2002 and pocket $961,000.

But Dredge is not satisfied with being a one-season-wonder and has that burning desire to succeed.

Now he insists if his performances can match those of last year on a consistent basis maybe a place at the coveted US Masters is not out of the question.

Dredge, who was statistically the third-best average driver on the European Tour last year, is also just desperate to win his first European Tour event for three years and rise into the world ranking top 50.

The Peterstone Lakes player, ranked 67th in the world, started this year slowly at the South African Airways Open in Cape Town on the weekend - finishing seven-under-par and tied in 19th place.

But the event he's really looking forward to is the $1 million WGC Accenture Match Play in California late next month... for obvious reasons!

But for now Dredge is thinking a bit more closer to the present as he travels across South Africa for the $750,000 Dunhill Championship at the Houghton Golf Club in Johannesburg, a tournament which starts tomorrow.

"I was a rusty in Cape Town," admitted Dredge. "At first, I found it difficult to strike the ball. Then when I started striking the ball better, over the weekend, my putting started letting me down.

"I suppose I can't have it all. But my consolation was it was only my first tournament back after a four-week break over Christmas and New Year, now I'm looking for improvement in Johannesburg.

"I have a couple of aims for 2003 and they go hand-in-hand.

"My initial goal is to win a tournament on the European Tour.

"That should give me extra world rankings points to lift me up into the top 50 - that's my main objective."

Dredge failed to win any event last year and his last win came at the Is Molas Challenge on the Italian island of Sardinia in June 1999 - so now Dredge is eager to bag that allusive Tour win.

"I want to get up the rankings to be in contention for the major tournaments and if I play particularly well perhaps maybe qualifying for Augusta is a possibility."