Lee Westwood shook off the rust and nearly won a car on his way to a three-under-par 69 on the opening day of the South African Open at Randpark yesterday.

Westwood was playing his first competitive round since the Million Dollar Challenge at the beginning of December and pronounced himself more than happy to be only four shots off the lead.

He said: "I would have settled for level par after four holes today. In fact I would have settled for par at the start of the day, being my first competitive round, and I managed to hit a few good shots on the back nine.

"I thought I'd won a car at the par-three 17th. I hit a lovely four-iron and thought it was going in; it looked good all the way but stopped a foot from the hole".

Westwood intends to play more in America this season. "As the game progresses and becomes more of a world tour, the tournaments in America are becoming more important to European players," he said. "I don't want to get stuck in this psychology by saying that I don't enjoy America. I have to enjoy America, get used to it and get comfortable."

Fortunately he already enjoys South Africa and, as the highest ranked player here at number six, has been given a great welcome. His 69 will please the sponsors, as will Ian Woosnam's opening 70 after the Welshman missed the cut in the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Houghton last week.

After the rains that reduced that tournament to 54 holes the Johannesburg weather gods have smiled on Randpark. Four days of sun have dried out the wet spots and allowed for perfectly manicured greens and fairways. But it is not a course for the fainthearted or the short hitter. Off the back tees it measures 7,800 yards and it played most of that length yesterday.

So it was no surprise that a South African who hits the ball vast distances heads the leader board. The 27-year-old Wallie Coetsee blasted his way to a 65, seven under, which included nine birdies.

Coetsee leads by a shot from the English pair Greg Owen and Paul Eales and another South African Des Terblanche. Eales put in a blistering finish after starting with seven straight pars. He then rattled in seven birdies and a bogey in 11 holes. "I played really well, hit a lot of good shots and finished it off with some good putts," said Eales.

Among those at four under is Retief Goosen, who beat Ernie Els by five shots here in 1995, the last time the event visited Randpark. Goosen was fourth at Houghton last week and could be the man to beat.

Another former champion, Tony Johnstone of Zimbabwe, matched Goosen's 68, as did Richard Green, the Australian who beat Greg Norman and Woosnam in a play-off to win the Dubai Desert Classic last year and then fell off the golfing map.