FOLLOWING his most successful European Tour finish, Bradley Dredge has risen to 19th in the Volvo Order of Merit.

It makes the Blackwood golfer, who has recently become attached to Peterstone Lakes Golf Club, the highest placed Welshman on the European Tour.

More importantly though his final round 68 at the K Club has virtually guaranteed the Welshman a spot at the Open Championship in Muirfield later this month.

While his real target remains a first European Tour win, Dredge acknowledges that he has to cut out some mistakes from his game before that can become a reality. "Everybody makes mistakes," said Dredge. "It's just a case of how well you recover from them.

"Last week I made a couple of silly mistakes and it cost me, but I'll keep plugging away and try to make fewer mistakes in the earlier rounds.

"'m trying to win a tournament - and I would love to do so." Before the Open comes the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond tomorrow and Dredge can start to consider himself a real contender for the winners' cheque of £336,660.

Meanwhile fellow Welshman Phil Price is doubtful for the event, having injured his neck in Cork last week.

The Bassaleg golfer pulled out mid-way through his second round and is unlikely to be fit for the final warm-up before the Open.

l Gwent player Craig Smith has taken another big stride towards a place in the 11-strong Welsh side for the Amateur Home International Golf Series over the Royal St David's links, Harlech, in September.

The 21-year-old St Mellons star finished joint fourth in the 72-hole Carad Trophy Tournament over the Radyr and Cardiff courses - and that will have done him a power of good.

Smith had an aggregate of 145 at Radyr to finish in the top ten in the Salva event and then improved by three strokes to finish third equal in the Cardiff Feathers at Cardiff, recording a combined total of 287, four strokes behind surprise winner Jonathan Holmes, the 22-year-old Southerndown club champion.