Charl Schwartzel and Lee Westwood were tied for the lead in the Nedbank Golf Challenge after they shot contrasting 68s in the first round at the Gary Player Country Club at Sun City on Thursday.
4.08pm– A good drive by Westwood on the 18th hole is followed by a neat approach shot to 18 feet. The defending champion then strokes in a beautiful birdie putt to complete two loops of 34.
3.34pm– Another excellent approach shot by Schwartzel sets up an easy par on the 18th hole. That’s a fantastic back nine and 68 for the South African, one shot ahead of Jason Dufner, Lee Westwood and Robert Karlsson.
3.24pm– Charl Schwartzel’s comeback continues as he birdies the par-three 16th, sinking another good putt, to go to four-under-par, one shot ahead of Robert Karlsson. He is in trouble on the 17th, finding the greenside bunker, but an excellent chip to four feet sees him maintain his lead with a par.
Martin Kaymer, meanwhile, slips back to two-under with a bogey on the 17th. It could have been worse for the German though as he sank a 12-foot putt to avoid dropping more than just the single stroke, having found the water with his second shot, which was short and slid off the bank.
Simon Dyson ends with a two-under-par 70 after sinking a lengthy putt to birdie the 18th hole. Kyung-Tae Kim is also having a solid round, sinking a lengthy putt for birdie on the 14th to also go to two-under.
The first round of the Nedbank Senior Challengeends with four golfers – David Frost, Bernhard Langer, Nick Price and Ian Woosnam tied for the lead on three-under. Tom Lehman is on two-under and Mark Calcavecchia (-1) is the only other golfer under par.
2.58pm– Luke Donald crashes out of the lead with a double bogey on the par-four 17th. Off the tee, he finds the water that lurks all the way along the left, reloads and then misses a 12-foot putt for bogey.
The Englishman therefore goes to the final hole on two-under-par, with Schwartzel, Kaymer and Karlsson on three-under.
2.45pm– Charl Schwartzel is back on the charge, with four birdies in five holes after his disaster at the ninth taking him to three-under-par, one shot behind leader Luke Donald.
On the par-five 14th hole, his drive is again poor, but he gets his second back on the fairway and then hits a magnificent third shot from close to 200 metres out to within 10 feet of the flag to set up his third birdie in a row.
In the Nedbank Senior Challenge, Tom Lehman double-bogeys his last hole to tumble out of the lead. Lehman finishes with a two-under-par 70, slipping behind Ian Woosnam, David Frost, Bernhard Langer and Nick Price, who are all on three-under.
2.16pm– Graeme McDowell birdies the par-five 10th hole to go to three-under and a share of the lead.
2pmKarlsson’s drive on the par-four 13th hole is wayward, into the trees on the right side of the fairway. But the lanky Swede plays a remarkable second shot, hacking an iron on to the green. But Karlsson then leaves his first putt 12 feet short of the hole and slightly pulls the par-putt – three-putt for bogey, what a pity after that great second shot out of the bushes.
He is not the only golfer to be punished for a wayward drive though – Luke Donald had to take a drop on the eighth hole after going way into the trees, ending up with a bogey. But the world number one began to prosper after the turn and once the rain stopped, birdieing the 10th and 11th holes to move back to three-under-par and a share of the lead.
Charl Schwartzel is less fortunate, making a double bogey seven on the ninth.
South Africa’s hope is deep in the rough off the tee, chips out but is still in the rough. He then goes for the green with his third shot, but plonks it in the water.
South Korea’s Kyung-Tae Kim also finds the water on the ninth, but an excellent fourth shot out of the drop zone sees him salvage par.
Martin Kaymer, meanwhile, goes steadily to three-under and a share of the lead with back-to-back birdies on the par-five 10th and 11th holes.
Meanwhile, in the Nedbank Senior Challenge, 1987 Million Dollar champion Ian Woosnam eagles the par-five 10th hole and then birdies the 16th to draw level with Tom Lehman in the lead on four-under. Bernhard Langer, Nick Price and David Frost are all on three-under.
1.08pm– Karlsson is just over the green for two on the par-five ninth hole, but can’t make birdie. That means he can’t hold off the intriguing Jason Dufner, who strokes in a little five-foot putt for birdie at the fifth hole to join Karlsson on three-under. The American also birdied the par-four first hole – the only player to do so thus far today – and the par-three fourth.
Just to make things more interesting, light rain is starting to fall over the Gary Player Country Club.
12.38pm– A bemused Graeme McDowell has to settle for a par on the third hole as his putt from just off the green teeters on the edge of the hole. Even when the flag is removed it doesn’t drop! The jovial Northern Irishman waits and waits, but the ball won’t budge and eventually he taps it in with the side of the putter, staying on one-under-par overall. His 25ft birdie putt on the fourth is also left agonisingly short of the hole!
12.33pm– Francesco Molinari three-putts the par-four third hole for a bogey, but returns to two-under-par as he curls in a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-three fourth.
Charl Schwartzel holes a lengthy putt on the same hole for his first birdie of the tournament.
12.13pm– The shot of the day thus far as Francesco Molinari holes his approach shot on the par-five second hole, spinning a wedge back into the hole for a superb eagle!
Lee Westwood has begun the defence of his title by finding the right-hand fairway on the first hole.
Martin Kaymer also birdies the second hole – just about everybody is these days! – to go to one-under.
In the Nedbank Senior Challenge, Bernhard Langer leads on three-under-par through eight holes. David Frost is on two-under and Tom Lehman on one-under-par.
11.47am– Robert Karlsson sets the early pace and comes close to achieving the first hole-in-one in Sun City history!
The Swede’s tee shot on the par-three fourth hole curls beautifully towards the hole, stopping just a foot away. The inevitable birdie takes Karlsson to three-under-par after birdies on the second and third holes as well, on both occasions set up by fine approah shots.
Anders Hansen collects the fourth birdie of the day on the second hole. His second shot was just over the green, on to the left semi-rough, but he nearly sinks his chip and then makes a comfortable putt for birdie. Luke Donald and Simon Dyson also picked up shots on the 520-metre par-five.
Darren Clarke, meanwhile, makes the first bogey of the day as he three-putts the first hole.
11.10am– The Nedbank Golf Challenge gets underway with Robert Karlsson teeing off and finding the fairway. Simon Dyson, however, sends his drive left, the ball bounding off into the bushes – heading towards Lost City!
Dyson plays a wonderful second shot, however, and manages to make his par, as does Karlsson.
Meanwhile, in the Nedbank Senior Challenge, David Frost sinks a massive 45ft putt on the third to take the lead on two-under-par.
Bernhard Langer, Tom Lehman, Nick Price – after a fabulous approach shot a foot from the flag on the second – and Mark O’Meara, who sank a lengthy birdie putt on the second, are all on one-under.
