YORK-BORN Simon Dyson was in the frame at the Mission Hills pro-am celebrity tournament held in China.
The title contested by the 24 professionals was won by Europe’s recent Ryder Cup star Justin Rose, but Dyson was just two strokes behind to claim third place and a cheque for $70,000.
The 36-year-old Dyson was in searing form on the first day at the Haikou course on the island of Hainan.
He led with a four-under-par on day one of the two-round tournament, which, besides Rose, also featured fellow Ryder Cup ace Ian Poulter, Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, and a phalanx of major winners like Greg Norman, Gary Player, Darren Clarke, Ian Woosnam and John Daly.
However, as regularly as he sank the putts on the first day, he was just as off target on the final day, when, in similar rain-lashed conditions, Dyson posted a one-over round.
However, the third-place finish has put the world number 107 in good heart for this week’s $7million BMW Masters event in Shanghai.
The event, which starts on Thursday, does not have a midway cut, the same as for the penultimate European Tour competition, the Turkish Airlines Open from November 13 to 16. That’s because the top 60 placings on the Race To Dubai are effectively settled with Dyson in a healthy 28th place.
After Turkey, the European Tour concludes with the World Tour Championship in Dubai from November 20 to 23.
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