GOLF JOBURG OPEN:IRELAND'S DAMIEN McGrane and England's Jamie Elson share the clubhouse lead after a weather-interrupted first-round of the Joburg Open yesterday.
Elson, who holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the final green of the European Tour’s qualifying school at the end of last year to secure his card, made a flying start to the year with an eight-under-par 63 on Royal Johannesburg and Kensington’s West Course.
That matched the earlier effort of McGrane, who managed to reach the clubhouse before thunderstorms halted play.
In total around four hours were lost because of the threat of lightning, with some players unable to complete their rounds before darkness set in as a result.
Elson was six under after 15 holes before the suspension and picked up two more shots in his last three holes when play resumed.
“I had just hit a good shot on 16, the par three, and there was a strong downwind,” Elson said. “With the water short (of the green) it was a pretty good shot and left myself with an eight footer when I resumed play. I managed to knock that in and then finished well.
“I had a good year here last year – I think I shot six under on the second day at the hard course – so if I can do that again it would be nice.”
McGrane carded five birdies in a flawless front nine of 31 and collected two more on the back nine before chipping in for an eagle on the 15th.
The only blemish on his scorecard came at the 18th with a bogey five.
“I am delighted to be in a good position after round one,” McGrane said. “For the last three or four years Irish golf has been quite incredible and I think we feed off each other. I stacked up a few birdies during the round, but that eagle really turned my round.
“I hit plenty of fairways and holed a few nice putts for birdie, it was just the bogey at the last which was disappointing. Apart from that it was a perfect round of golf.”
South African pair Desvonde Botes and Peter Karmis and Holland’s Reinier Saxton are a shot off the lead on seven under, with Scottish duo David Drysdale and George Murray another stroke back.
Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, looking for a third straight win in the event, was level par with three holes left to play.
If the South African makes it a hat-trick he would become only the sixth player, after Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els and Tiger Woods, to win the same European Tour event three years in a row.
- US TOUR: Rory Sabbatini was setting the pace on four under par after 16 holes in the first round of the Sony Open at the Waialae Country Clubin Hawaii.
The South African had birdies at the third, eighth, ninth, 10th and 12th before dropping a shot a the 16th. At one under par through 11 was Billy Hurley, making his debut as a full member of the PGA Tour – just two and a half years after leaving his position as a lieutenant in the US Navy.
JOBURN OPEN: FIRST ROUND SCORES
Kensington GC, Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club, Johannesburg, (British unless stated, Irish in bold, par 71): Note: Round one to resume at 06:45 local time on Friday morning
West Course
63 Jamie Elson, Damien McGrane (Ire)
64 Peter Karmis (Rsa), Reinier Saxton (Ned).
65 Carlos Del Moral (Spa), George Murray, David Drysdale, Joel Sjoholm (Swe), Shaun Norris (Rsa), George Coetzee (Rsa).
66 Brandon Pieters (Rsa), Marc Warren, Retief Goosen (Rsa), Wallie Coetsee (Rsa), Richard Finch, Warren Abery (Rsa), Tommy Fleetwood, Peter Hedblom (Swe).
67 Merwe Bennie Van Der (Rsa), Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa).
68 Dean O’Riley (Rsa), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Jean Hugo (Rsa), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Sam Hutsby, Des Terblanche (Rsa), Ryan Tipping (Rsa), Trevor Fisher Jnr (Rsa).
69 Danny Willett, Gregory Havret (Fra), Michael Du Toit (Rsa).
70 Toto Thimba jnr (Rsa), Andrew Marshall, Guillaume Cambis (Fra), Andrea Pavan (Ita), Colin Nel (Rsa), Ariel Canete (Arg), Raymond Russell.
71 Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Hennie Otto (Rsa), Adilson Da Silva (Bra), JG Claassen (Rsa), David Dixon, Niclas Fasth (Swe), Taco Remkes (Ned), Matthew Carvell (Rsa).
72 Hans Peter Bacher (Aut), Tim Sluiter (Ned), Tyrone Ferreira (Rsa).
73 Coenie Stoop (Rsa), Muswalo null Nethunzwi (Rsa).
74 Louis Moolman (Rsa), Danie Van Tonder (Rsa), Lloyd Saltman.
75 Thabang Simon (Rsa), Alphuis Kelapile (Rsa), Darryn Lloyd (Rsa), Kenneth Ferrie, Ryan Cairns.
East Course
65 Desvonde Botes (Rsa).
68 Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa), Chris Swanepoel (Rsa).
69 Adam Gee, Daniel Gaunt (Aus), Robert Dinwiddie, Doug McGuigan, Justin Walters (Rsa), Jake Roos (Rsa), Theunis Spangenberg (Rsa).
70 Chris Gane, Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Matthew Nixon, Ricardo Santos (Por), Pelle Edberg (Swe), Jose de jesus Rodriguez (Mex), Seve Benson, Dawie Van Der Walt (Rsa), Andrew Parr (Can).
71 Roope Kakko (Fin), Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Markus Brier (Aut), Phillip Archer.
72 Ockie Strydom (Rsa), Neil Cheetham, Lasse Jensen (Den), Peter- Henric McIntyre (Rsa), Daniel Greene (Rsa), Brandon Stone (Rsa).
73 Joachim B Hansen (Den), Andrew Georgiou (Rsa), Scott Strange (Aus), Victor Riu (Fra), Barry Lane, Sipho Bujela (Rsa), David Hewan (Rsa).
74 Titch Moore (Rsa), Steven Ferreira (Rsa), Knut Borsheim (Nor), Ryan Thompson (Rsa), Matthew Baldwin, Lindani Ndwandwe (Rsa).
75 Martin Du toit (Rsa), Steven Jeppesen (Swe), Jorge Campillo (Spa), Andrew Curlewis (Rsa), Albert Pistorius (Rsa).
76 Jamie Moul, Charles-edouard Russo (Fra), Bernd Ritthammer (Ger).
77 Jaco Ahlers (Rsa), Blanche Lamprecht (Rsa), Morten Orum Madsen (Den), Alan Michell (Rsa).
78 Prinavin Nelson (Rsa), Drikus Van der walt (Rsa), Edouard Dubois (Fra).
81 Atti Schwartzel (Rsa).
84 Jonathan Raphunga (Rsa).
RTD: A Bernadet (Fra), J Guerrier (Fra).
