Dean Burmester produced a brilliant finish to his opening round to share the lead with fellow South African Darren Fichardt midway through day one of the BMW PGA Championship.
The first Rolex Series event of 2018 had seen glorious conditions in the pro-am on Wednesday but an overnight storm coupled with early showers and chilly temperatures meant the West Course at Wentworth Club was a real test on Thursday.
The bumper crowds had been delighted to see English pair Richard Bland and Matthew Fitzpatrick set the initial target at five under but Fichardt and Burmester both moved one shot ahead of them – the latter picking up six shots in his last seven holes.
Fitzpatrick birdied the 1st, 3rd and 4th to hold a two-shot lead in the early stages and while he was passed by Alexander Levy, he got back into a share of top spot with a 12-footer on the 11th.
The four-time European Tour winner then got an incredible stroke of luck out of the trees on the 12th but there was no fortune in what happened next, as he holed an 18-foot putt to get up-and-down on the par five and lead on his own.
Bland – who had made just two of ten cuts before this week – had birdied the 4th, 8th and 11th with a bogey on the 6th, and edged closer to the lead when he holed from the front edge on the 15th.
An approach to eight feet on the 17th moved him to four under and when he got by the green in two on the par-five last and got up-and-down, he was at the top of the leaderboard.
Fichardt joined him at five under with a birdie on the 12th adding to gains on the 4th, 7th, 8th and 10th, while Fitzpatrick dropped a shot on the 16th but took advantage of the par-five penultimate hole to get back on top before saving par after going in the water on the last.
Burmester was level par on the 12th tee but went birdie-birdie before holing his second on the 15th for an eagle. A birdie on the 16th then handed him a share of the lead.
Fichardt edged ahead with a birdie on the 17th and when Burmester made it six shots gained in seven holes on the last, there was a pair of South Africans atop the leaderboard.
Credit: European Tour
Photo: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
