BLACKWOOD'S Bradley Dredge, pictured, was sitting six shots off the leader after the first round of the Atlanet Italian Open in Sardinia.

Dredge wants to get a first trophy under his belt - but after his first round 69 he was six shots behind Italian Michele Reale and Sheffield's Mark Roe at Is Molas.

Dredge is currently 107th in the Order of Merit and is already guaranteed his European Tour card next year, but he admits he is "disappointed" with his season and wants to win his first event, saying: "I have enough self belief in myself to know that I can compete."

Defending champion Ian Poulter was only partially satisfied with an opening 67.

The first day's play was stopped half-way through due to lightning on the Italian Island.

Roe was joint leader with Italian Michele Reale overnight after both carded nine under par 63s, just one shot outside the course record.

But it took the 38-year-old just three holes to move clear of the field today with an early birdie, and another on the sixth moved him to 11 under par.

With Reale among the afternoon starters, that was enough for a two-shot lead with Sweden's Johan Rystrom moving into third place on eight under with two birdies in his first nine holes.

The news was not so good for Hartlepool's Graeme Storm, however, as he battled to make the cut and earn enough money to move into the top 115 on the Order of Merit and retain his card for next season.

The former amateur champion, currently 118th on the money list, began the day one over par after an opening 73 and after three birdies were cancelled out by a bogey and double bogey in his first nine holes, remained one over.

That was likely to be at least two shots too many