Neil Schietekat signed for a stunning six-under-par 66 opening round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf at Selborne Park Golf Club to take a one-shot lead into the second round.
He opened with three back-to-back birdies and a bogey on the 4th hole. He picked up three pars after that to steady himself but those also were followed by another dropped shot on the 8th before he made another birdie on the 9th to turn in 34.
His back nine was more eventful, however, because he took full advantage of the par-five 10th and picked up an eagle there. Two more birdies on the 11th and 14th meant a bogey-free run for the reigning Sun City Challenge champion.
‘If you get off to a nice start, this course is fun,’ he said. ‘But it can also bite. I’m glad to be back here because I kind of play well here every time. But I didn’t feel like I played my best, I just kind of kept it in play all day. I’m putting really well at the moment, making the putts that I’m supposed to make. But the game has been solid for the last couple of months.’
Hot behind Schietekat and trailing by a single shot was 2013 champion Jacques Blaauw, Wynand Dingle and member of the Gary Player Class, Lindani Ndwandwe, on five under. While Blaauw dropped two shots en route to his 67, Dingle and Ndwandwe each made a single bogey on day one.
Andrew Curlewis is four under and occupies the fifth spot while the sixth is shared by Chris Swanepoel, Herman Loubser, Garth Mulroy, MJ Viljoen, Tyler Hogarty, Peter Karmis, Ulrich van den Berg and Anton Haig all on three-under-par 69.
First round leaderboard:
66 – Neil Schietekat
67 – Jacques Blaauw, Wynand Dingle, Lindani Ndwandwe
68 – Andrew Curlewis
69 – Chris Swanepoel, Herman Loubser, Garth Mulroy, MJ Viljoen, Tyler Hogarty, Peter Karmis, Ulrich van den Berg, Anton Haig
70 – Kyle McClatchie, Daniel Greene, Ockie Strydom, Pieter Moolman, Andre Nel, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Teboho Sefatsa, Jason Smith, Steve Surry, Alex Haindl, Colin Nel, Aubrey Beckley
71 – Scott Campbell, Ruan Conradie, Louis de Jager, Wallie Coetsee, Victor Lange, Theunis Bezuidenhout, Stuart Smith, Tyrone Ryan, Jason Viljoen, Fredrik From
72 – James Pennington, Jade Buitendag, Justin Harding, Michael Palmer, Daniel van Tonder, Tyrone Ferreira, Merrick Bremner, Hennie Otto, Ruan de Smidt, Michael Hollick, Coert Groenewald, Desne Van Den Bergh, Toto Thimba, Martin Rohwer, Titch Moore, Erhard Lambrechts
73 – Stephen Ferreira, Lyle Rowe, Bennie van der Merwe, Philip Eriksson, Jared Harvey, Luke Jerling, Chris Cannon
74 – Warren Abery, Madalitso Muthiya, Thriston Lawrence, Jean Hugo, Louis Albertse, Duane Keun, JJ Senekal, Vaughn Groenewald, Rourke van der Spuy, Doug McGuigan, Ryan Cairns, Daniel Hammond
75 – Marc Cayeux, Keenan Davidse, Breyten Meyer, Jaco Ahlers, Philip Geerts, Marthin Scheepers
76 – Jabulane Mabilane, Christiaan Basson, Heinrich Bruiners, Estiaan Conradie, Ryan Tipping, CJ du Plessis, Adilson Da Silva
77 – Combrinck Smit, Matt Bright, Makhetha Mazibuko, Wayne Stroebel, Derick Petersen, Benjamin Follett-Smith, Jake Roos, Jake Redman, Roberto Lupini, Jacques P de Villiers, Matthew Carvell
78 – Adriel Poonan, Michael Schutz, Mark Williams, Thabang Simon, David McIntyre
79 – Allister de Kock, Callum Mowat, Kyle Barker, Dylan Mostert, Musiwalo Nethunzwi
80 – Keelan Africa, Steven Lecuyer, Michael Green, Jason Roets, Bryandrew Roelofsz, Rhys West, Jacquin Hess
81 – Luke Trocado, Gideon van der Vyver, Mohit Mediratta
82 – Basil Wright, Kayyam Rauf Mandhu, Thabo Moraba
83 – Altaaf Bux
