Home favourite Pieter Moolman combined a lightning-fast start with a big finish to share the lead alongside fellow South African Shaun Norris after the first round of the 2024 SDC Championship.
Morning starter Moolman flew out of the blocks on Thursday, covering his first three holes in four under par before ending his round with back-to-back birdies to sign for a stunning 65.
Norris then overcame windy afternoon conditions at St. Francis Links to join Moolman at the summit, as he also finished with two successive birdies to reach seven under par.
Daniel Brown was the pair's nearest challenger on six under, despite the Englishman only arriving at the host venue on Wednesday after missing a flight from Frankfurt on Monday.
Qualifying School graduate Moolman made the perfect start, kicking off his round with a hole-out eagle at the first before firing three birdies in the next five holes as he turned in 31 shots.
After making another birdie at the 13th to get to six under, Moolman gave the shot back on the 15th.
But he finished with a flourish, sending his tee-shot at the short 17th to within a few feet and tapping in the birdie putt before making another gain on the last to lead by one.
Moolman said: "It's a dream start. I just hit a really good second shot on the first hole. But where the flag is, you can't really see much so I figured it was close but when I got up there it was actually in the hole. So yeah, I'm very happy with the start.
"It was a bit tricky because we're not used to this wind really. It makes a lot of holes easy and some of the easier holes tougher.
"But you just have to give yourself opportunities, the course is wide, it's playing a bit softer, so I think there's a lot of opportunities out there.
"I do like the golf course, it's one of my favourite ones in South Africa - I always look forward to playing here so maybe it's just a course I really enjoy."
Norris also made a bright start, reeling off a hat-trick of birdies from the first before picking up further shots at the sixth and ninth to climb the leaderboard.
Another birdie on the tenth took the 2022 Steyn City Championship winner to six under before a bogey at the next stalled his progress.
Norris got the shot back at the long 13th but made another bogey on the 15th before two closing birdies at the 17th and 18th pulled him alongside Moolman at the top.
He said: "I’m pretty happy with everything. I’m hitting the ball nicely. The conditions weren’t easy but I handled it well.
"I just hit the ball well, gave myself great opportunities and took advantage of those.
"But I always love coastal conditions. It just sort of balances out the field because it’s about who controls the ball the best. So I’m happy with where I’m standing."
South Africans Wilco Nienaber and Malcolm Mitchell shared fourth place with German Nick Bachem and Scot Connor Syme on five under.
