LUMBRES, France (PA) -- Sweden's Fredrik Andersson Hed believes if he can maintain his ball-striking consistency he has a good chance at the Saint-Omer Open in northern France.

The 37-year-old carded six birdies in a blemish-free 65 Thursday to lead by one over Australia's Michael Curtain and Tony Carolan in the small European Tour event, which is also sanctioned by the second-tier Europen Challenge Tour.

He was almost caught by Carolan, but the Australian bogeyed his penultimate hole -- the 389-yard eighth -- and only a birdie at the last lifted him back up.

Curtain also dropped a shot on the eighth but he made amends with an eagle at the 500-yard next to turn in 33, and three birdies and one bogey on the back nine lifted him to five under.

"I only hit a couple of bad tee shots all day, and even managed to get away with them," said Andersson Hed. "I just hope I can keep going for all four rounds this week. I've been striking the ball well lately.

"Even though I missed the cut on the Challenge Tour in Ireland last week the game's definitely there or thereabouts at the moment."

At 3 under are Spain's Carlos Del Moral and England's James Morrison, who did not drop a shot in his round of 67.

"It's important to play well this week, because it's like a major championship for the Challenge Tour guys," he said. "It's all about peaking at the right time, and I've made a good start."

Last year's runner-up Christian Nilsson shot three birdies to reach 3 under, but the in-form Robert Coles, who has won twice on the Challenge Tour already this season, had something of a disaster.

He was 3 under through seven but a double-bogey 6 at the eighth signalled a run of 11 holes in which he dropped seven shots and picked up just one birdie.

A hole-in-one for Clodomiro Carranza at the 191-yard 17th earned the Argentinian a Renault Twingo.

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