DAVID DRYSDALE LEADING SCOT IN JOBURG OPEN

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

By MICHAEL GIBBONS, European Tour Press Officer

South Africa’s Richard Sterne and German Max Kieffer produced a pair of sparkling eight under par 63s to share the first round lead at the Joburg Open.

Both players continued the fine form they displayed in Dubai last week, where Sterne finished second and Kieffer shared 17^th place behind Stephen Gallacher, as they tackled the West Course at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Course.

The first two rounds of the Joburg Open are being played over the West and East Courses, with each of the 209 players in action playing one round on each before the tournament reverts to the more difficult East Course for the final two days.

The prospect of a tougher challenge for the next three days certainly does not phase the 2008 Joburg Open champion Sterne, though.

He said: “I had three good rounds around the East Course the year I won here. If I can do that again I’ll have a chance on Sunday.”

Sterne’s 2008 victory was the start of a clean sweep of the three co-sanctioned European Tour and Sunshine Tour events that winter, but a back injury ravaged his 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

Kieffer, who graduated the Challenge Tour last year, continued the impressive start to his rookie year on The European Tour, having already finished tied for fourth at the Nelson Mandela Championship in Durban and tied for 17th last week in Dubai.

“When you come from the Challenge Tour everyone says that you have enough to play out here, but you still want to prove it,” said Kieffer.

“It’s a new world and you don’t really know what to expect, so I’m happy that it went pretty good so far. That round was great. I’ve been playing well the last few weeks and I just tried to stay positive on the golf course, and luckily today was another good round.”

South Africa’s Bryce Easton had a hole-in-one en route to posting a seven under 65 on the East Course, which gave him third place on seven under.

Defending champion Branden Grace and two-time winner Charl Schwartzel were also on the East Course on day one, but while former Masters Tournament winner Schwartzel opened with a four under 68, Grace could only produce a level par 72.

SCOTSWATCH

David Drysdale has the honour of being the leading Scot with a four-under-par 68 which puts him no higher than joint 36th, so high is the standard of scoring. If Drysdale (pictured) can eliminate the one "bad" round that usually drags him down, he could build on a solid start.

Scott Henry had a 69, which was a good effort in the Big League for the former Scottish boys and men's amateur stroke-play champion.  

Callum Macaulay had a 70, one shot ahead of Marc Warren and George Murray.
Peter Whitehead had a 72 while Chris Doak and Craig Lee recorded 73s.
Alastair Forsyth is unlikely to survive the cut after struggling to an opening round of five-over 77. 

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD

  Par 72

63 M Kieffer (Ger); R Sterne (RSA)

65 T Mordt (RSA); M Daffue (RSA); B Easton (RSA); J Lagergren (Swe); P Uihlein (USA)

66 O Strydom (RSA); A Kaleka (Fra); J Kingston (RSA); D Horsey (Eng); T Ferreira (RSA); A Da Silva (Bra); J Van Zyl (RSA); A Versfeld (RSA); T Fisher Jnr (RSA); D McGrane (Irl); E Kofstad (Nor)

67 L Gagli (Ita); D Burmester (RSA); R McGowan (Eng); J Cunliffe (RSA); D Fichardt (RSA); G Boyd (Eng); L Slattery (Eng); T Van Der Walt (RSA); T Aiken (RSA); N Fasth (Swe); R Cairns (Zim); K Horne (RSA); F Aguilar (Chi); R Finch (Eng); A Tadini (Ita); I Garrido (Esp); G Coetzee (RSA)

68 T Fleetwood (Eng); O Bekker (RSA); A Sullivan (Eng); O Fisher (Eng); A Snobeck (Fra); D Drysdale (Sco); P Price (Wal); M Bremner (RSA); C Basson (RSA); L Jensen (Den); C Schwartzel (RSA); J Elson (Eng); A Schwartzel (RSA); D Van Tonder (RSA); J Kruger (RSA)

69 J Campillo (Esp); D Van Den Heever (RSA); M Zions (Aus); J Hugo (RSA); M Foster (Eng); S Benson (Eng); T Van Aswegen (RSA); T Maseko (RSA); J Parry (Eng); L Rowe (RSA); B Åkesson (Swe); B Vaughan (RSA); M Korhonen (Fin); T Moore (RSA); S Henry (Sco); W Coetsee (RSA); A Levy (Fra); B Pieters (RSA); M Carvell (RSA); P Karmis (RSA); M Lundberg (Swe); J Hansen (Den); R Derksen (Ned); J Harding (RSA); J Lara (Esp)

70 R Santos (Por); G Mulroy (RSA); H Buhrmann (RSA); M Southgate (Eng); J Kamte (RSA); G Lockerbie (Eng); C Macaulay (Sco); J De Beer (RSA); S Wakefield (Eng); R Gonzalez (Arg); A Hartø (Den); G Havret (Fra); D Petersen (RSA); A Haindl (RSA); J Blaauw (RSA); O Sandys (RSA); H Otto (RSA); G Cambis (Fra); G Bourdy (Fra); D Willett (Eng); M Hollick (RSA); M Nixon (Eng); J Sjöholm (Swe); M Tullo (Chi); A Curlewis (RSA); T Sefatsa (RSA)

71 K Broberg (Swe); N Cheetham (Eng); N Schietekat (RSA); R Rock (Eng); A Georgiou (RSA); P Waring (Eng); D Botes (RSA); S Chowrasia (Ind); C Cévaër (Fra); J Ahlers (RSA); R Wellington (RSA); C Coetzee (RSA); E Grillo (Arg); D Ferreira (RSA); R De Smidt (RSA); G Murray (Sco); L De Jager (RSA); S Arnold (Aus); D Gerber (RSA); R Davies (Wal); S Webster (Eng); U Van Den Berg (RSA); M Warren (Sco); S Norris (RSA); J Walters (RSA); J Harvey (RSA); B Koepka (USA); D Higgins (Irl)

72 M Gligic (Can); A Michael (RSA); F Laporta (Ita); T Lewis (Eng); B Grace (RSA); F Zanotti (Par); C Swanepoel (RSA); T Simon (RSA); M Bothma (RSA); S Bujela (RSA); J Du Buisson (RSA); P Whiteford (Sco); C Nel (RSA); R Tipping (RSA); S Little (Eng); J Busby (Eng); M Baldwin (Eng); P Archer (Eng); P McIntyre (RSA); A Dodt (Aus); J Senekal (RSA); P Hedblom (Swe)

73 D McGuigan (RSA); S Kjeldsen (Den); C Doak (Sco); V Groenewald (RSA); J Roos (RSA); M Wiegele (Aut); M Delpodio (Ita); M Brier (Aut); A Pistorius (RSA); C Lee (Sco); M Lampert (Ger); A Marshall (Eng)

74 D Brooks (Eng); J Morrison (Eng); D Gaunt (Aus); R Strauss (RSA); D Hewan (RSA); M Nethunzwi (RSA); T Spangenberg (RSA); G Stal (Fra); A McLean (Sco); P Erofejeff (Fin); M Madsen (Den); G Maybin (Nir); D Van Der Walt (RSA); C Paisley (Eng); E Pepperell (Eng); W Abery (RSA); D Greene (RSA); D O'Riley (RSA)

75 C Del Moral (Esp); J Strydom (RSA); C Lloyd (Eng); M Buys (RSA); K Davidse (RSA); M Jonzon (Swe); M Lafeber (Ned); J Claassen (RSA); G Muller (RSA)

76 Y Jung (RSA); G Storm (Eng); M Murless (RSA); C Gane (Eng); E De La Riva (Esp); H Bruiners (RSA); J Raphunga (RSA); R Karlberg (Swe)

77 W Westner (RSA); A Forsyth (Sco); S Ferreira (RSA); M Mazibuko (RSA); E Goya (Arg); M Williams (RSA)

78 B Detweiler (RSA); R Nortje (RSA)

79 N Dougherty (Eng)

80 R McEvoy (Eng)

81 O Floren (Swe)