CEJKA AND GOOSEN SHARE SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN LEAD ON 64

FROM THE SUNSHINE TOUR WEBSITE
German Alex Cejka took advantage of a defenceless Durban Country Club today to card an eight-under-par 64 to share the first round lead of the 100th playing of the South African Open Championship.

“It’s quite a tricky course, but it’s not that long, especially when the wind’s not blowing,” he said. “So I played quite smart with a lot of three-irons off the tee, and a lot of three-woods – you’ve got to have the ball in play.”
He shared the lead with two-time winner Retief Goosen, and was just one stroke clear of Ernie Els and Charl Schwartzel.
The first round was completed today after the course became waterlogged after incessant rain on Thursday when just two-and-a-half hours of play were possible.
The second round will be played on Saturday, after which the cut will be made to 50 and ties, instead of the original 65. Those who make the cut will have to play 36 holes on Sunday to complete the championship.
The difference between Cejka and the others was that Cejka made no mistakes at all as the wind stayed away and made the course play even shorter than its 6,157-metres (6,732yd).
Cejka made an adjustment to where he positions the ball in his stance, and it’s a change that has borne fruit: “I moved the ball a bit forward, and really ground it out on the range,” he said.
“Then I just decided this morning to commit to the change, and it worked out well,” he added.
Goosen made two bogeys in his 64, while Els and Schwartzel each dropped a single shot in their seven-under-par 67s.
“I missed quite a few putts on the front nine and was getting a little annoyed with myself,” said Els. “But I played a really solid back nine,” he said of his closing 31 which included a chip-in for eagle on 13 and three birdies.

Goosen, pictured, had two eagles in his round – on 18 after starting his round on the 10th and on the third. “I hit a perfect three-wood on to the front edge of 18,” he said, “and then holed a 25-footer. And on three, I hit a three-wood and a five-iron from 198 metres to about 10 feet in there.”
They were a further stroke clear of a group of six players on six-under-par 66.
In that group was 2008 SA Open champion Richard Sterne, who has been out of action with back problems for the better part of the year and a lot of the previous year.
He looked his old self but for a brief wobble on the 17th when he dropped a shot with a streaky approach and then a three-putt. But seven birdies made him look very impressive indeed.
The other players on six-under were Jaco Ahlers, Garth Mulroy and Tyrone van Aswegen all of South Africa, England’s David Dixon and Spain’s Carlos Del Moral.
Open champion Louis Oosthuizen headed up a group of 10 players on five-under-par 65, and his bogey-free round set him up nicely ahead of the weekend.
Oosthuizen had a poor Alfred Dunhill Championship last week, missing the cut, even though his game started coming around in the second round there – and he was concerned the break for rain would negatively affect him.
“When tournament directors and everyone is pushing you to get as many holes as possible,” he said, “you can play yourself out of the tournament right there.”
Instead, he’s just three shots off the pace, and up there with the big duo of Goosen and Els, the next generation represented by Schwartzel, and Cejka, who represents the efforts by players from outside South Africa trying to win the title.
SCOTSWATCH: Defending champion Richie Ramsay from Aberdeen had a one-under-par 71 but on a low-scoring day that earned him only a share of 60th place with European Tour rookie and compatriot Lloyd Saltman and Peter Whiteford.
David Drysdale from Dunbar took the Scottish honours with a 67 to be just outside the top 10. Raymond Russell had the misfortune to be disqualified for a scorecard errot.

Playing in his first full European Tour event in more than four years, the former Cannes Open champion shot a 71, only to be ruled out of the competition when it was discovered that he had signed for 4s at the 13th and 14th when, in fact, he had taken a 3 and a 5 at those holes.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES
Par 72
64 Alex Cejka, Retief Goosen.
65 Ernie Els, Charl Schwatzel.


SCOTS' SCORES
67 David Drysdale (jt 11th).
71 Lloyd Saltman, Richie Ramsay, Peter Whiteford (jt 60th).
72 George Murray (jt 89th).
74 Scott Jamieson (jt 117th).
75 Alan McLean (jt 132nd).
76 Elliot Saltman (jt 139th).
Disqualified: Raymond Russell 71.


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