Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who won on the European Tour last week, headlined a list of six players tied for the lead after the first round of the South African Open at Sun City on Thursday.
Bezuidenhout, who claimed the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club by four shots on Sunday, shot a five under par 67 to share the lead with three other South Africans, Matthias Schwab of Austria and the Italian Aron Zemmer.
The home players are Dean Burmester, Jacques Kruyswijk and Ruan Korb, who hit six birdies in seven holes to take the lead before a bogey on his second last hole.
Schwab was the only player in the field to hit a bogey-free round on the taxing course at the Gary Player Country Club.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
