Adam Scott of Australia and Trevor Immelman of South Africa both scored five-under-par 67s to share the first-round lead in the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City on Thursday.
English pair Justin Rose and Luke Donald are lying one off the pace on 68, with tournament favourite Ernie Els of South Africa, who is trying for a record fourth title in this annual 12-man event — often referred to as ”Africa’s Major” — bracketed with Australia’s Geoff Ogilvy on 69.
While Scott and Immelman said they were happy to be in the lead, both felt they lost momentum on the inward loop.
The Australian chipped in for an eagle three at the long 15th to go six under for the round but then hit his tee shot into a fairway bunker at the par-four 15th, which led to the only bogey of his round.
”I made a bit of a hash of that hole and then I could only manage three regulation pars coming in,” said the 27-year-old world number six.
Immelman, also 27, got off to the hottest start of the day with birdies at each of the first four holes.
Then at the par-five ninth, with its island green surrounded by water, he hit a big drive followed by a high four-iron right to the heart of the putting surface.
He dropped the 15-footer to be out in 30 before making another birdie at 10 to move to seven under for the day.
”Then I made two straight bogeys, at 11 and 12, so I kind of let a great round slip a bit,” added the South African, who parred in from there.
”Still, if you’d offered me a 67 at the start of the day on an extremely tough and extremely long golf course like this I would have taken it.”
Rose, who climbed to the top of the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit after winning the end-of-season Volvo Masters, was the only player in the field to avoid a bogey on an unseasonally cool day in this very hot region of South Africa.
”Playing here for the first time has been like a dream come true for me,” said tournament rookie Rose.
”And then to get off to a fast start like I did today [Thursday] with birdies at the first two holes was really special. I did hole a few six- and seven-footers to keep a bogey off my card, so it was a solid effort.”
The high point of Donald’s round was four birdies in five holes from the 10th. World number five Els bogeyed two of the first three holes before settling down.
He did dunk his approach into the water at the 17th, but after dropping out he pitched into the cup to save par, much to the delight of the huge gallery in the grandstand behind the green.
Swedes Henrik Stenson and Niclas Fasth carry the continent of Europe’s challenge but will need to play catch-up on Friday with Stenson opening with a 72 and Fasth a 74. — AFP
