Scot David Drysdale produced an eagle on his opening hole as he rose to the top of the leaderboard early in the first round of the Africa Open at East London Golf Club.
Drysdale required only three shots to complete the par five 509 yard first and, despite bogeying the fourth, he responded in emphatic fashion with two of his three gains from the fifth.
The 39 year old was four under after nine holes, one shot ahead of English pair David Howell and Matthew Fitzpatrick plus France's Gregory Havret and Chile's Felipe Aguilar.
Howell undid his hard work of birdying the 11th by bogeying the next, although he bounced back with three more gains, while Fitzpatrick collected three birdies.
Aguilar gained three shots as he made the turn in 35 but after collecting another shot on the par three 175 yard tenth, bogeyed the next.
Havret had started well, picking up two consecutive shots from the third and then sixth, only to drop a shot on the ninth.
With South Africans winning this event on all five occasions, Erik Van Rooyen was leading the home charge on two under.
Andy Sullivan, aiming to make it a hat-trick of victories in co-sanctioned events this year after winning the South Africa Open and Joburg Open, was struggling to emulate his recent form.
Although the Englishman collected four birdies, he also suffered four dropped shots to sit level par after 12 holes.
South African Warren Abery earlier retired due to illness.
