South Africa’s dominance of the Africa Open continued on the opening morning as Jaco Van Zyl claimed an early lead.
The event has previously been won by Charl Schwartzel in 2010 before former Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen took the next two stagings, and there were three home players at the top of the leaderboard when the action began at East London Golf Club.
Van Zyl, who has 12 top-ten finishes in his European Tour career but is yet to win, eagled both par fives on the way out and had a birdie at the 14th to turn in a five under par 31.
That was two clear of compatriots Oliver Bekker and Tjaart Van Der Walt, with Dutchman Joost Luiten, Swede Bjorn Åkesson, England’s John Parry and another South African, Christiaan Basson, tied for fourth on two under.
