Erlandsson sets Pearl Valley on fire in SA Open first round
2009-12-17 13:50:00
Swedish golfer Martin Erlandsson produced a sublime back nine for a
bogey-free eight-under-par 64 to set the clubhouse lead in the opening round
of the 2009 South African Open Championship at Pearl Valley Golf Estates on
Thursday.
At two-under after the turn, the Swede birdied the second, third and fourth
and then eagled the 530-yard fifth. He added birdie number six at the
seventh for loops of 34 and 30.
Erlandsson, who finished second in the Johnnie Walker Championship at
Gleneagles after a closing 62 in August, has a four-shot cushion over
countryman Michael Jonzon, winner of the 2009 Castellon Masters, Italian
World Cup winner Edoardo Molinari and Brit Richard Finch.
South Africans Thomas Aiken, Ulrich van den Berg and Jacques Blaauw lead the
pack chasing at three under. Richard Sterne, who began his title defence
with a solid birdie but bogeyed twice before the turn, got himself back in
contention with birdies at the third and sixth for a one-under-par 71.
South Africa´s Charl Schwartzel and Pablo Martin from Spain, respectively
second and first at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last week, are among the
afternoon starters.
Early First Round Scores:
64 - Martin Erlandsson (SWE)
68 - Richard Finch (ENG), Edoardo Molinari (ITA), Michael Jonzon (SWE)
69 - Ulrich van den Berg (RSA), Jacques Blaauw (RSA), Thomas Aiken (RSA),
Damien McGrane (IRL)
70 - Carlos Rodiles (ESP), Louis Moolman (RSA), James Kamte (RSA), Soren
Hansen (DEN), Michael Hoey (NIR), Peter Karmis (RSA), Jamie Elson (ENG)
71 - Fredrik Ohlsson (SWE), Sam Hutsby (ENG), Richard Sterne (RSA), Chris
Williams (RSA), Shiv Kapur (IND), Robert Rock (ENG), Markus Brier (AUT),
Keith Horne (RSA)
Par - Oliver Bekker (RSA), Andre Cruse (RSA), Grant Muller (RSA), Gavan
Levenson (RSA), Ariel Canete (ARG), James Kingston (RSA), Jbe´ Kruger (RSA),
Phillip Price (WAL), Chris Swanepoel (RSA)