Bradley Dredge began his Celtic Manor Wales Open in confident fashion with five under-par first-round.
The Welshman, playing in a popular group with Englishmen Simon Kahn and Ross Fisher, shot a 66 to leave himself one shot off the early-leader Chris Wood.
Dredge could have tied for the lead but bogeyed the final hole. His tee-shot was short of the green and he failed to get up and down to save par.
Teeing off the 11th, he had began well with a birdie on the first and picked up three further shots in the opening nine. A bogey five at the sixth was his first blemish but he responded with three birdies in a row – including an excellent two at the par-three seventh – before his dropped shot on the last.
This afternoon’s action sees Wales Number One Rhys Davies play alongside defending champion Jeepe Huldahl from Denmark and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell.
By Alex Winter, at the Celtic Manor Resort
