"To have a bad start on 10 with a poor tee shot but after that to remain bogey-free, very pleased with that," said Dredge after playing with a steadiness that belied his lowly ranking.
A two-time winner on the European Tour, he made a slow start to the year but has found a little form in his past three tournaments, with a tie for 26th at the BMW International Open on Sunday suggesting he is trending in the right direction.
American world number two Justin Thomas, making a reconnaissance mission of sorts ahead of the Ryder Cup, carefully plotted his way around a course where precision is generally more important than power.
His one-under 70 included a bogey and a double-bogey at holes where his conservative approach did not pay off.
"Just had two bad swings that cost me three shots -- two holes I'm hitting four-irons off the tee and if I get it in play, I'm looking to make a birdie and I make bogey and double-bogey (instead)," he said.
The France Open is the first of three consecutive $7 million events in the European Tour's Rolex Series.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina)
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