DAVID DRYSDALE (67) IS SWINGING IN
THE RAIN TO LEAD EAST COURSE
FIELD IN JOBURG OPEN

David Drysdale from Dunbar began the New Year in excellent style with a four-under-par 67 to lead over the longer East Course (7,590yd) field at the end of opening round of the Joburg Open, played in a steady downpour at Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, South Africa.
Welshman Sion Bebb and Englishman Ross McGowan, who covered the West Course (7,119yd) in 66, as did Spain's Pablo Larrazabel, were one stroke behind two South Africans, Tyrone Ferreira and Mark Murless who set a hot pace with six-under-par 65s.
Stephen Gallacher from Bathgate had a one-under 70 at the West Course.
It was a disappointing day for Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, who carded a two-over 73 at the West Course, the same score as a clutch of Scots Andrew McArthur, Alan McLean, Peter Whiteford and Steven O'Hara.
Craig Lee had a 74 at the East and Andrew Oldcorn a 75 at the same venue.

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE:

South Africans Mark Murless and Tyrone Ferreira mastered the weather and the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club's West Course to share the lead on day one of the Joburg Open.
In heavy rain Murless, who lives in Johannesburg, carded seven birdies and a solitary bogey on his way to a six under par round of 65.
The 31 year old was joined at the top of the leaderboard by compatriot Ferreira, who shot a flawless round which included three birdies either side of the turn.
Murless said: "My biggest challenge today was the weather, and just trying not to make mistakes.
"My plan was to pick up birdies on the par fives. So three under was my target, and I got three under that.
"I'm very happy with my start. If I can be two under tomorrow and for each of the next two rounds, I will be ecstatic."
Other players in contention include Wales' Sion Bebb, who is bidding to better the fourth place he achieved at last September's Omega European Masters in Switzerland - his highest ever placing in a European Tour event.
After a bogey-free round of 66, Bebb is tied for third place with Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal - whose brother Alejandro won the British amateur championship in 2002 - and England's Ross McGowan.
Challenge Tour graduate McGowan, who claimed the Sunshine Tour's Rookie of the Year award last season, started his round with a bogey, but swiftly recovered with four birdies in the next eight holes.
He said: "It's not great out there - it's very tough, and it's difficult to judge your shots. You've got to carry the ball a lot further. The fairways are very wet, and there's not much run out there - maybe five or six yards. So I was trying to hit my drives higher."
One shot further back is a group of seven players including Paraguay's Marco Ruiz, who won the 102nd Abierto Visa de la Republica presentado por Peugeot in Argentina last December.
Ruiz is joined on four under par by England's Gary Lockerbie and Scotland's David Drysdale, as well as South Africans Garth Mulroy, Ryan Reid and Oliver Bekker.
Germany's Sven Struver, a previous winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at Leopard Creek, also carded a round of 67 after three birdies in his last four holes.
James Kingston, seeking back-to-back titles after his inaugural European Tour victory at the South African Airways Open last month, is also in contention.
The South African carded a three under par round of 68, which included an eagle three on the second hole.
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JOBURG OPEN SCOREBOARD
FIRST ROUND
Players from GB&I unless stated.
WEST COURSE
Par 71. 7,119yd.
65 Tyrone Ferreira (Rsa), Mark Murless (Rsa).
66 Sion Bebb, Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Ross McGowan.
67 Gary Lockerbie, Oliver Bekker (Rsa), Marco Ruiz (Par), Garth Mulroy (Rsa), Sven Struver (Ger), Ryan Reid (Rsa)
68 James Kingston (Rsa), Iain Pyman, Gary Boyd, Teboho Sefatsa (Rsa), Manuel Quiros (Spa), Trevor Fisher jun (Rsa), Joakim Backstrom (Swe), Alex Haindl (Rsa), Richard Bland, Prinavin Nelson (Rsa), Marcel Siem (Ger), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Andrew McLardy (Rsa), Marcus Higley, Louis Moolman (Rsa), James Kamte (Rsa)
69 Jeremy Kavanagh, Gerlou Roux (Rsa), Paul Waring, Antti Ahokas (Fij), Warren Bennett, George Coetzee (Rsa)
70 Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Jaco Ahlers (Rsa), Ben Mason, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa), Marco Soffietti (Ita), Louis De jager (Rsa), Hendrik Buhrmann (Rsa), Craig Lile (Rsa), Stephen Gallacher, Werner Geyer (Rsa), Jamie Donaldson, Ariel Canete (Arg), Edoardo Molinari (Ita)
71 Carlos Del Moral (Spa), Adilson Da Silva (Bra), Shaun Norris (Rsa), Doug McGuigan, Sebastien Delagrange (Fra), Martin Wiegele (Aut), Magnus Persson (Swe), Jeppe Huldahl (Den), Henk Alberts (Rsa), Steve Basson (Rsa), Bobby Lincoln (Rsa), Stuart Manley, Jake Roos (Rsa), Christiaan Basson (Rsa), Andrew Marshall, Richard Sterne (Rsa)
72 Marc Farry (Fra), Wayne De Haas (Rsa), Jamie Little, Adam Gee, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra), Olivier David (Fra), Ryan Tipping (Rsa), Dave Horsey, Deane Pappas (Rsa)
73 Andy Turner, Peter Whiteford, Gareth Maybin, Alan McLean, Josh Cunliffe (Rsa), Jordig Del Moral (Spa), David Park, Darren Clarke, Gabriel Canizares (Spa), Jeff Inglis (Rsa), Kevin Stone (Rsa), Roland Steiner (Aut), Michael Du Toit (Rsa), Alessio Bruschi (Ita)
74 Hennie Otto (Rsa), Dean Lambert (Rsa), Euan Little, Dawie Van der Walt (Rsa), Steve Van Vuuren (Rsa)
75 Desvonde Botes (Rsa), Steve Lewton, Anders Schmidt Hansen (Den), Nic Henning (Rsa), Mohammed Tayob (Rsa), Philip Golding
76 Alex Baillie (Rsa), Andrew Curlewis (Rsa), Tongo Charamba (Zim)
77 Anton Haig (Rsa)
80 Andreas Andersson (Swe)

EAST COURSE
Par 71. 7,590yd.
67 David Drysdale
68 Charl Coetzee (Rsa)
69 John Mellor, Andre Cruse (Rsa), Gary Emerson
70 Brandon Pieters (Rsa), Magnus A Carlsson (Swe), Liam Bond, Warren Abery (Rsa), Klas Eriksson (Swe), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Edward Rush.
71 Benoit Teilleria (Fra), Ian Garbutt.
72 Lee S James, Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Jbe Kruger (Rsa), Stephen Browne
73 Chris Gane, Jan Are Larsen (Nor), Leif Westerberg (Swe), Robert Wiederkehr (Chi), Steven O'Hara, Andrew McArthur, Chris Williams (Rsa), Justin Walters (Rsa), David Hewan (Rsa)
74 Craig Lee, Divan Van Den Heever (Rsa), Brett Liddle (Rsa), Jean Hugo (Rsa), Christopher Hanell (Swe), Kyron Sullivan, Terry Pilkadaris (Aus), Marc Cayeux (Zim), Nicolas Vanhootegem (Bel), Andre Bossert (Chi), Robert Rock, Scott Barr (Aus), Florian Praegant (Aut), Des Terblanche (Rsa), Van Phillips.
75 Ben Evans, Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Thomas Aiken (Rsa), Birgir Hafthorsson (Ice), Rossouw Loubser (Rsa), Andreas Hogberg (Swe), Andrew Oldcorn, Fredrik Widmark (Swe), Michael Hoey, John Bele (Rsa), Steve Alker (Nzl), James Morrison, Ryan Cairns (Zim), Wilhelm Schauman (Swe), Lindani Ndwandwe (Rsa), Martin Maritz (Rsa), Atti Schwartzel (Rsa).
76 David Carter, Robert Coles, Robert Dinwiddie, Branden Grace (Rsa), Peter Kaensche (Nor), Peter Karmis (Rsa), Tyrone Van Aswegen (Rsa), Ian Hutchings (Rsa), Titch Moore (Rsa), Juan Abbate (Arg), Colm Moriarty, Tota Thimba jnr (Rsa), Omar Sandys (Rsa), Tim Milford, Lawrence Dodd, Alan Michell (Rsa), Kieren Court (Rsa)
77 Ulrich Van Den Berg (Rsa), Alvaro Velasco (Spa), Grant Veenstra (Rsa), Chris Swanepoel (Rsa), Steven Jeppesen (Swe), Michiel Bothma (Rsa), Gareth Paddison (Nzl), Grant Muller (Rsa)
78 Gary Clark, Ph Mcintyre (Rsa), Wallie Coetsee (Rsa), Keith Horne (Rsa), Kalle Brink (Swe), Gary Thain (Rsa), Vaughn Groenewald (Rsa)
79 Paul Dwyer, Willie Van Der Merwe (Rsa), Ross Wellington (Rsa), Eugene Marugi (Rsa), Heinrich Bruiners (Rsa), Bradford Vaughan (Rsa), Neil Schietekat (Rsa)
80 Albert Pistorius (Rsa), Anthony Snobeck (Fra)
81 Paolo Terreni (Ita), Dion Fourie (Rsa)