BRADLEY Dredge admits winning the Wales Open would represent the pinnacle of his career and revealed he is still haunted by his 2007 defeat at his home event.

Blackwood’s Dredge, who has enjoyed better form in 2011 with two top-20 finishes, returns to the Celtic Manor hoping to end 12 years of Welsh hurt as we await a winner from the Principality.

Fellow Welshman Rhys Davies last year became the fourth player from this side of the Severn Bridge – along with Newport’s Phillip Price, Ian Woosnam and Dredge – to fall at the final hurdle with victory in his sights as US Open king Graeme McDowell won out.

However, no-one came closer than Dredge, who missed out by a single stroke in 2007 when South African Richard Sterne went on to win the tournament, one bad tee shot on the 18th costing Dredge everything after the round of his life.

The result still smarts, and with his dream of representing Europe in Wales at the 2010 Ryder Cup now over, Dredge revealed himself more determined than ever to finally win in Wales.

“I definitely target the Wales Open, of course I do. Outside of the Majors, for the Welsh guys… we all look forward to performing well this week,” he said.

“I know in terms of prize funds and ranking points there are bigger events, but doing well here… it’s a big buzz.

“You have an awful lot of friends and family in support and much more so here than in other tournaments.

“Coming so close to winning helps me, definitely.

“The more times you get yourself in a position to win the more you can hopefully learn from it.

“You always try to get better here, try different things, and for me that’s part of the enjoyment of playing golf.

“But losing out on the Wales Open in 2007 was the biggest disappointment of my career.

“Playing the last I thought I needed par to win and it dictated how I was going to hit that tee shot.

“But I think that was probably more disappointing to me than anything else because I got myself in a great position to win in front of my home crowd.”

Dredge is now playing a fuller European Tour schedule, but admits he still smarts from failing to make the Ryder Cup side last year.

“I know what you mean in saying it’s nice not to be asked about it anymore, having it looming over me, but from my point of view, I wish the Ryder Cup was in Wales every year,” he said.

“Unfortunately in was probably going to be – well certainly for me – a once in a career opportunity to play the Ryder Cup in Wales.

“It would have been great to have done it obviously. And personally, I still target playing in a Ryder Cup.”

However, Dredge, currently ranked 152 in the world, insists he is only focused on returning to the world’s top 50 and isn’t concerned with overhauling Davies as Wales’ top dog.

“Rhys has played great over the last few years and for me personally, I don’t really look at being Wales number one anymore,” he said.

“I’ve got my own goals and if Rhys was number 10 in the world (he’s 92nd) I would be struggling to get there. I’ve got more golfers to get ahead of than grains of rice!

“I am pleased for him; he’s playing great golf. To do the things I want to do, play in Ryder Cups, play in the Majors, you need to be in the world’s top 50 and that is my aim.”