• South Africa Open, Round One

Goosen off to ominous start on home turf

Retief Goosen fired a round of 66 despite an uneven finish © Getty Images

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Leaderboard

A birdie at his final hole of the day ensured Retief Goosen put himself firmly in the hunt after the opening round of the South Africa Open.

Goosen, at world No. 52 the second highest ranked player in the field at Serengeti Golf Club this week, began his day on the tenth but looked to have squandered a good start to his round with successive bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes.

But he fired a precise approach at the 230-yard par-three ninth and holed out for birdie, enabling him to recover to card a six-under round of 66. It was the South African's seventh birdie of the day, while he also made an eagle at the par-four second after chipping in from off the green.

"I probably should have gone for the green at eight," Goosen said afterwards. "It was a bit of a poor finish, but I got lucky on the last."

That left last year's runner-up just a shot off clubhouse leaders Steven O'Hara and Jbe Kruger, who both ended round one seven-under for the tournament after impressive rounds of 65.

The top of the leaderboard is dominated by South Africans, with David Hewin, Tyrone Mordt and Merrick Bremner level with Goosen and Garth Mulroy, Shaun Norris and Jean Hugo a shot further back at five-under - alongside Felipe Aguilar.

Defending champion Ernie Els got off to a solid if unspectacular start after a round of 69, on a day where bogeys at the first and last hampered his scoring.

The five-time SA Open champion have six birdies in two streaks of three on the day - from the second to the fourth and then the 15th to 17th - but will hope to find more consistency when his second round gets underway on Friday.

Soren Hansen is four-under after a 68, alongside Welshman Phillip Price and the emerging South African pair of Thomas Aiken and George Coetzee.

Elsewhere, the highest ranked player in the field, England's Simon Dyson, is some way adrift of the early pacesetters after an unremarkable round of 70.

Ernie Els and George Coetzee are among the afternoon starters.

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