Zander Lombard performed well on his Open debut as he carded a two-under-par 69 to sit in a tie for 23rd place at Royal Troon after the first round.
The 21-year-old was in the last three-ball of the day and took advantage of the pleasant conditions that were present late in the day. The Woodhill Country Club member got his round going with a birdie at the second before adding another at the fourth after he had bogeyed the third. Another birdie came at the eighth as the youngster made the turn at two-under-par.
On the notoriously more difficult back nine, the Joburg Open runner-up kept it together with a single bogey coming at the 11th before he picked the shot back up at the 16th and eventually signed for his 69.
Richard Sterne leads the South African charge after an earlier 68 while Ernie Els carded a 71. Haydn Porteous was another South African to shoot under par in the opening round. Branden Grace is at one-under-par while Louis Oosthuizen carded a 71, helped by a hole-in-one on the 14th.
