Dawie van der Walt positioned himself as the lone South African near the top of a South African Open leaderboard dominated by the foreigners after Thursday´s first round at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.

Van Der Walt opened with a seven-under-par 65 to trail leader Martin Erlandsson by a single stroke after the Swede set an impressive target on day one of the championship.

Erlandsson teed off the tenth, and after going out in two under he found his form with a back nine of 30, including three birdies and an eagle in his first five holes of that nine.

"I really let go on my back nine and just played freely," he said after his bogey-free 64. "The swing was a bit off on the range, so I tried to play safe at the start of my round. Then I noticed it was feeling better. I made a few birdies and then just let go on the back nine."

Van Der Walt was the first to respond with a round of three birdies and two eagles. His second eagle on the tenth came after his drive finished in a bunker, from where he hit a wedge that pitched five feet behind the hole and then spun back in.

"I´m really happy with where I am right now and the way I´m playing," he said. "I´m just looking forward to doing well and seeing if I can better my best finish in a co-sanctioned tournament, which is ninth. Obviously I also want to win. You can´t win it on the first day, but a good run like this always helps."

Spaniard Pablo Martin, the winner of last week´s Alfred Dunhill Championship, later joined Van Der Walt on seven under with a round highlighted by two birdies and an eagle in his final three holes.

"That was a really good way to finish the day. I was a bit shaky in the middle of the round, but I chipped in for birdie on the par-five 13th and that broke the bad momentum I had."

On a cool, overcast day in the winelands, Van Der Walt and Martin led the afternoon charge on Erlandsson´s morning round of 64, which for most of the day earned him a four-stroke clubhouse lead.

Sunshine Tour Order of Merit leader Anders Hansen also came with a strong finish late in the day and closed off his round with two birdies for a six-under 66.

South Africa´s Louis Oosthuizen worked his way into contention with a 68 on day one, while Jacques Blaauw continued his good form to also be well-placed on three under.