South African Championship Leaderboard
Christiaan Bezuidenhout's bid to secure back to back European Tour titles got off to a strong start as he posted an opening 67 to claim a share of the early clubhouse lead on day one of the 2020 South African Open.
Fresh from his magnificent four shot victory at last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship, home favourite Bezuidenhout - starting at the tenth - made five birdies on his front nine before mixing one birdie with the only bogey of his round on the back nine to head into the clubhouse on five under par.
Fellow South Africans Jacques Kruyswijk and Dean Burmester were alongside Bezuidenhout at the top of the leaderboard at Gary Player Country Club, as was Austrian Matthias Schwab after he made an eagle and three birdies in a flawless first round.
Bezuidenhout has enjoyed enormous success on home soil so far this year, winning the Dimension Data Pro-Am - co-sanctioned by the European Challenge Tour - in February before clinching his second European Tour title at Leopard Creek Country Club four days ago.
And the 26-year-old continued to shine on Thursday morning as he opened his first round with successive birdies at the tenth and 11th before taking advantage of the two par threes on his front nine - the 13th and 16th.
Bezuidenhout, who is up to ninth on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex following last week's win, reached the turn in 31 after picking up another shot at the long 18th.
Canada's Aaron Cockerill who missed the cut last week at Leopard Creek, has opened T22 -1 71. It could have been better as he was all pars and 3 birdies until a double bogey 7 at the 18th put a damper on his day.
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