Top-ranked player in the field Dean Burmester opened with a round of 71 at the Trophee Hassan II on Thursday morning. Starting on the back nine at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in tricky conditions, the South African put together a strong first nine that included three birdies and only one dropped shot.
The six-time Sunshine Tour winner began his second nine in decent fashion, stringing four pars together that at one stage had him in a share of the lead with Italy’s Francesco Laporta and local pro Younes El Hassani.
Burmester then went bogey, bogey, birdie to drop away from the sharp end of the leaderboard before signing for his one-under round. When the world number 97 tapped in for par at his final hole Australia’s Jason Scrivener was alone in the lead after shooting a four-under-par 68.
Several of the afternoon field were yet to tee-off, including the likes of SA Open runner-up Christiaan Bezuidenhout, and a true reflection of how the course is playing will only come the end of the round.
