• Volvo Golf Champions, Round One

Red-hot Colsaerts sets strong early pace

Tom Lewis enjoyed a fine start to his season © Getty Images

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Nicolas Colsaerts made a blistering start to the Volvo Golf Champions on Thursday, as his nine-under par round of 64 put him four shots clear of the rest of the field.

Big-hitting Colsaerts, who qualified for the event after winning last year's China Open, seemed to find The Links at Fancourt layout to his liking, as he made a comfortable start and then roared away from the field with seven birdies on the back nine.

It was his approach shots that served the Belgian so well; Colsaerts time and again giving himself great birdie opportunities that he converted more often than not.

"This is probably the best [round] of my life. It's a serious test of golf," Colsaerts said afterwards. "I think the longest putt I holed was from 12 feet on the second."

Young Englishman Tom Lewis is well-placed at the head of the chasing pack at five-under, after showing great composure to bounce back from a disastrous double-bogey seven at the par-five 16th.

Two birdies in his closing two holes saw the damage undone, as the Portugal Masters winner finished the day with a round of 68.

Last week's winner Branden Grace also finished five-under after making the most of the back nine, along with fellow South African Thomas Aiken. Louis Oosthuizen is just a shot further back, alongside Englishman David Horsey and Dutchman Joost Luiten.

Padraig Harrington - only in the field by virtue of being a past European Tour Order of Merit winner - looked set to be the nearest challenger to Colsaerts when he came to the par-five 18th six-under for the tournament, but the Irishman endured a torrid double-bogey finish as he slipped back to four-under.

Colin Montgomerie also had a good day, as he built on a start that saw him find two birdies in three holes to card a three-under round of 70. Like Harrington, the Scot only qualified for the tournament as a previous Order of Merit winner.

Not everyone enjoyed successful days, however. Charl Schwartzel sits two-over after the opening 18 holes, with Open champion Darren Clarke also recording a 75 after a laborious round that included just a solitary birdie.

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