truebluefan

Trevor Fisher Jnr fired an eight under par 63 on the West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to take the clubhouse lead during the opening round of the Joburg Open.

The South African’s efforts took him a shot clear of Northern Irishman Michael Hoey - whose card included eight birdies and just one blemish courtesy of a bogey on the par four 17th.

Spaniard Alfredo Garcia-Heredia was a further stroke back after completing his round in the co-sanctioned European Tour and Sunshine Tour in 65, one stroke clear of another home favourite Brett Liddle and Maarten Lafeber from Holland with the pair still having nine and eight holes respectively still to play.

But the morning saw Hoey give himself a flying start to the competition and he was just pleased to have improved on his opening 75 from last year's competition.

He said: "I am pretty happy, I played here last year and the weather wasn't great. It didn't help as I wasn't playing well at all. I knew then that the east course was playing tough, it was really long.

"But today it was pretty hot so the ball was going longer and that helped. I got off to a good start as well, so it was pretty good.

"I had probably one of the only poor swings of the day on 17 and that cost me. But I actually played solid."

Defending champion and winner of the last two events on The European Tour Richard Sterne was level through his opening three holes, with two time major winner Retief Goosen one over at the same stage.

The first two rounds of the €174,350 event are taking place on the East and West Courses after which the last two rounds will finish on the East.