/ 10 January 2008

Rookie Ferreira surprises at Jo’burg Open

Rookie professional Tyrone Ferreira made a mockery of conditions in the opening round of the Jo’burg Open to share the lead with fellow countryman Mark Murless on Thursday.

Both players carded six-under 65s to lead three players — Ross McGowan (England), Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) and Sion Bebb (Wales) — by one stroke, with a host of seven players all on 67.

The European-sanctioned tournament being played on both Royal Johannesburg and Kengsington’s West and East courses for the opening two rounds was drenched in drizzle from start to finish, and Murless and Ferreira took full advantage of the shorter West course. But the 20-year-old Ferreira, playing his first tournament as a professional, surprised all with a bogey-free round, whereas the seasoned Murless pencilled in a drop shot.

”I thought that level par would be fine today [Thursday],” said Ferreira. ”But then the putts just started to drop.”

Ferreira’s putter started to sizzle in the damp with a birdie on the par-five second hole and then he repeated the feat at four and five to go out in 33. He was in on 32 with birdies at 11, 13 and 14 with only a slight scare on the par-four 18th.

”The last hole I was in trouble,” said Ferreira. ”My second had plugged into the greenside bunker but I managed to play a good shot out and made the putt.”

Murless attributes his fine round to a pep talk from his ”better half”.

”I had a talk with my wife over the weekend and she said just stay away from drops and triples and lately I’ve been doing a lot of that.”

Murless’s only blip came on the par-four fourth, but his seven birdies, including a run of four from the 10th to the 13th, bore testament to his form. And it could have been better for the Johannesburg-based professional had it not been for a few missed chances on the closing holes.

”I missed a few opportunities on the last two holes and the par-five 15th. I had a metre or less for birdie on 15 and missed that and then missed birdie opportunities on the last two. If I had knocked those in it would have been a special one, but I’m happy with the round, especially in the conditions.”

Both Murless and Ferreira will play the East course on Friday, which is the longest on either the Sunshine Tour and the European Tour at 6 940m.

And with the soggy conditions both players admit that the course will be playing even longer.– Sapa