SALTMANS SCINTILLATE IN AFRICA OPEN FIRST ROUND

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Brandon Pieters put together a run of five consecutive birdies to establish a one-shot lead after round one of the Africa Open today.
The four-time Sunshine Tour winner carded a seven-under-par 66 at East London Golf Club to lead compatriots Branden Grace and Jaco Van Zyl, France's Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, England's Miles Tunnicliff and Elliot Saltman from the Lothians - one shot ahead of brother Lloyd on the 68 mark.

Starting at the ninth, Pieters eagled his third hole of the day - the par five 11th - after hitting his approach to four feet.
Three birdies and three bogeys followed in the next seven holes, before Pieters launched his birdie blitz - starting at the third and culminating with a six footer on the seventh which gripped the lip before dropping.
Four of the five leading players took advantage of the best of the morning conditions following a 90min fog delay, and before the wind picked up in the afternoon.
Pieters said: "It's always all about putting, and I didn't really miss anything from inside ten feet today. All good putting, that's all."                                                         

Tunnicliff - playing on a sponsor's invite after losing his European Tour card - and Gonnet both bogeyed the 14th, but the Englishman did not drop another shot as he carded five birdies and an eagle.

Gonnet, still searching for a maiden European Tour title in his fifth season at this level, also dropped a shot at the ninth but six birdies and an eagle at the 11th put him firmly in contention.

Qualifying School graduate Van Zyl was the only member of the leading players not to drop a shot, as last season's four-time Sunshine Tour winner picked up six birdies.
"I only missed one fairway all day," he said, "and that was only just."                                                                       
Grace was the only player in the top five to tee off in the afternoon, and he left it late to make his move as holed his approach to the 18th for an eagle which completed an inward 31.
English pair Ross McGowan and Robert Rock were joined on five under by South Africans Thabang Simon, Jbe Kruger, Doug McGuigan and Lloyd Saltman.
Elliot Saltman (top picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency) had an eagle 3 at the long third and birdies at the sixth and nine to be out in four-under-par 33. He birdied the long 11th and also the 13th before dropping his only shot of the day, at the 14th. But he promptly birdied the 15th on his way to an inward half of 34 and a six-under-par 67.
Lloyd Saltman (lower picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency) bogeyed the first and second but got into his stride with birdies at the third and fifth to match the outward par of 37. Then he birdied the 12th, 14th, grabbed an eagle 3 at the long 15th and birdied the 18th for a scintillating five-under-par inward half of 31.
LEADERBOARD
Par 73. Yardage 6,847.
Players from S Africa unless stated
66 Brandon Pieters.
67 Mile Tunnicliff (England), Jaco Van Zyl, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (France), Branden Grace, Elliot Saltman (Scotland).

 OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
68 Lloyd Saltman.
70 Alastair Forsyth, David Drysdale.
71 Scott Jamieson, Marc Warren.
72 Steven O'Hara.
78 Scott Drummond.
81 George Murray.

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