Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra fired an eagle at the par-5 18th as well as eight birdies and one bogey for a 9-under 63 and a share of the lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
“I think I played really good golf – I’d been playing really good golf last week too, it’s just how golf is, the score wasn’t there – but I trust the plan that I have with my caddie and I think we did a tremendous job,” said Chacarra.
“Obviously the course is playing a little easier being softer but still you need to hit the shots out there.
“Happy with the start but it’s only the first round, a lot of golf left.”
South African Christiaan Burke opened with six consective birdies before making four more on the back nine as well as three bogeys and an eagle at the 18th.
“It was really fun. Good start – always fun, a six-birdie start! It’s tough to try to [keep] the momentum after that great start, but I’m happy with how I played today,” said Burke.
“I only figured out after the seventh hole I made six birdies in a row! So I just took the momentum from there.
“I like this golf course, I play here a lot. It suits my game and I’m just very comfortable on this golf course.”
Preferred lies were in place so the leaders’ score did not qualify as an official course record but was still the lowest round ever recorded at Royal Johannesburg Club.
South Africans Thriston Lawrence and Brandon Stone both signed for bogey-free 64s and lie in third place at 8-under.
England’s Brandon Robinson-Thompson eagled the par-5s 8th and 18th and made three birdies and one bogey for a 65 and a share of fifth place at 7-under alongside South Africans Branden Grace, Samuel Simpson and Daniel van Tonder
Grace stayed bogey-free and closed with an eagle at the 18th while Simpson, who also made an eagle at the 18th, made two bogeys. Van Tonder produced an eagle at the par-5 6th, five birdies and a bogey on the front nine as well as another birdie at the 18th.
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| Pos. | Player | To Par | R1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CHACARRA, Eugenio | -9 | 63 |
| | BURKE, Christiaan | -9 | 63 |
| 3 | LAWRENCE, Thriston | -8 | 64 |
| | STONE, Brandon | -8 | 64 |
| 5 | GRACE, Branden | -7 | 65 |
| | SIMPSON, Samuel | -7 | 65 |
| | VAN TONDER, Daniel | -7 | 65 |
| | ROBINSON THOMPSON, Brandon | -7 | 65 |
| 9 | PARRY, John | -6 | 66 |
| | BEKKER, Oliver | -6 | 66 |
| MOKOENA, Karabo | -6 | 66 | |
| | SCHMIDT, Ben | -6 | 66 |
| 13 | SIEM, Marcel | -5 | 67 |
| | RITCHIE, JC | -5 | 67 |
| | CAMPILLO, Jorge | -5 | 67 |
| | LANGASQUE, Romain | -5 | 67 |
| | BURMESTER, Dean | -5 | 67 |
| | BEZUIDENHOUT, Christiaan | -5 | 67 |
| | POTGIETER, Aldrich | -5 | 67 |
| | VILJOEN, MJ | -5 | 67 |
| | LINDBERG, Mikael | -5 | 67 |
| | JARVIS, Casey | -5 | 67 |
| | LARRAZÁBAL, Pablo | -5 | 67 |
| | VAN DRIEL, Darius | -5 | 67 |
| | NORRIS, Shaun | -5 | 67 |
| OOSTHUIZEN, Louis | -5 | 67 | |
| | SCHAPER, Jayden | -5 | 67 |
| | ARMITAGE, Marcus | -5 | 67 |
| 29 | PAVAN, Andrea | -4 | 68 |
| | PRINSLOO, Jaco | -4 | 68 |
| | ROZNER, Antoine | -4 | 68 |
| | BRADBURY, Dan | -4 | 68 |
| | VIALLANEIX, Pierre | -4 | 68 |
| | LEMKE, Niklas | -4 | 68 |
| | HILL, Calum | -4 | 68 |
| | FRITTELLI, Dylan | -4 | 68 |
| | AYORA, Angel | -4 | 68 |
| | COCKERILL, Aaron | -4 | 68 |
| | KORB, Ruan | -4 | 68 |
| 40 | BENNETT, Daniel (AM) | -3 | 69 |
| | BROWN, Luke | -3 | 69 |
| | PORTEOUS, Haydn | -3 | 69 |
| | CRONJE, Daniel | -3 | 69 |
| | BROOMHEAD, Jonathan | -3 | 69 |
| | SENEKAL, JJ | -3 | 69 |
| | STERNE, Richard | -3 | 69 |
| | OLESEN, Jacob Skov | -3 | 69 |
| | BAUTISTA, Austin | -3 | 69 |
| | RAMA, Nikhil | -3 | 69 |
| | BURNAND, Jordan | -3 | 69 |
| REPETTO TAYLOR, Rocco | -3 | 69 | |
| | KIMSEY, Nathan | -3 | 69 |
| | DU PLESSIS, Hennie | -3 | 69 |
| | FICHARDT, Darren | -3 | 69 |
| | GIRRBACH, Joel | -3 | 69 |
| | RAVETTO, David | -3 | 69 |
| | MIGLIOZZI, Guido | -3 | 69 |
| | YOUNG, Daniel | -3 | 69 |
| | FORREST, Grant | -3 | 69 |
| | WALTERS, Justin | -3 | 69 |
| 61 | GARCIA, Sebastian | -2 | 70 |
| | DEAN, Joe | -2 | 70 |
| | COUVRA, Martin | -2 | 70 |
| | STRYDOM, Ockie | -2 | 70 |
| | LEE, Junghwan | -2 | 70 |
| | LOUBSER, Herman | -2 | 70 |
| | HOLLICK, Michael | -2 | 70 |
| | TOWNSEND, Hugo | -2 | 70 |
| | BACHEM, Nick | -2 | 70 |
| | AHLERS, Jaco | -2 | 70 |
| | FOLLETT-SMITH, Benjamin | -2 | 70 |
| | FISHER, Ross | -2 | 70 |
| | DEL REY, Alejandro | -2 | 70 |
| | CARRERA, Luis | -2 | 70 |
| | LINDELL, Oliver | -2 | 70 |
| | VAN DER MERWE, Graham | -2 | 70 |
| | SCHNEIDER, Marcel | -2 | 70 |
| | MORRISON, James | -2 | 70 |
| 79 | THIMBA JNR, Toto | -1 | 71 |
| | ELVIRA, Nacho | -1 | 71 |
| | JOHNSTON, Ryggs | -1 | 71 |
| | CANTERO, Ivan | -1 | 71 |
| | GERMISHUYS, Deon | -1 | 71 |
| | VAN VELZEN, Ryan | -1 | 71 |
| | SENIOR, Jack | -1 | 71 |
| | BRUINERS, Heinrich | -1 | 71 |
| | MAZIBUKO, Makhetha | -1 | 71 |
| | JONSSON, Tobias | -1 | 71 |
| | RUTHERFORD, Jamie | -1 | 71 |
| | JERLING, Luke | -1 | 71 |
| | ENOCH, Rhys | -1 | 71 |
| | WALKER, Euan | -1 | 71 |
| | LOMBARD, Zander | -1 | 71 |
| 94 | DEYZEL, Werner | Par | 72 |
| | BLAAUW, Jacques | Par | 72 |
| | DANTORP, Jens | Par | 72 |
| | GUERRIER, Julien | Par | 72 |
| | MOOLMAN, Pieter | Par | 72 |
| | CLEMENTS, Todd | Par | 72 |
| | ALBERTSE, Louis | Par | 72 |
| WILLIAMS, Robin | Par | 72 | |
| | HIDALGO, Angel | Par | 72 |
| | WINTHER, Jeff | Par | 72 |
| | NIENABER, Wilco | Par | 72 |
| | BARKER, Kyle | Par | 72 |
| | SWART, Stals | Par | 72 |
| | VIDAL, Quim | Par | 72 |
| | DINGLE, Wynand | Par | 72 |
| | KROG, Stuart | Par | 72 |
| | PURCHASE, Warwick | Par | 72 |
| | VINCENT, Kieran | Par | 72 |
| | BERGSTROM, Albin | Par | 72 |
| | FERREIRA, Stephen | Par | 72 |
| | DAVIDSE, Keenan | Par | 72 |
| | HENDLER, Ricky | Par | 72 |
| | NAIDOO, Dylan | Par | 72 |
| | TAYLOR, Marcus Sandile | Par | 72 |
| | ELVIRA, Manuel | Par | 72 |
| 119 | BLOMME, Adam | +1 | 73 |
| | PREMLALL, Yurav | +1 | 73 |
| | GUILLAMOUNDEGUY, Oihan | +1 | 73 |
| | REBULA, Jovan | +1 | 73 |
| | KATSURAGAWA, Yuto | +1 | 73 |
| | HUGO, Jean | +1 | 73 |
| | CHINHOI, Robson | +1 | 73 |
| | MORY, Félix | +1 | 73 |
| | KINHULT, Marcus | +1 | 73 |
| | LAW, David | +1 | 73 |
| | NETHUNZWI, Musiwalo | +1 | 73 |
| | BOLTON, Jake | +1 | 73 |
| | KAMINSKI, Rupert | +1 | 73 |
| | BAIRSTOW, Sam | +1 | 73 |
| | JAMIESON, Scott | +1 | 73 |
| | BERRY, Joshua | +1 | 73 |
| | SCHIETEKAT, Neil | +1 | 73 |
| | VORSTER, Martin | +1 | 73 |
| 137 | VAN DER MERWE, Altin | +2 | 74 |
| | ÅKESSON, Björn | +2 | 74 |
| | ROWE, Lyle | +2 | 74 |
| | COETZEE, George | +2 | 74 |
| | NEWMAN, Bryan (AM) | +2 | 74 |
| | ROETS, Jason | +2 | 74 |
| | FILIPPI, Luca | +2 | 74 |
| | MITCHELL, Malcolm | +2 | 74 |
| | MOSTERT, Dylan | +2 | 74 |
| 146 | KRUYSWIJK, Jacques | +3 | 75 |
| | RUGUMAYO, Ronald | +3 | 75 |
| | LUITEN, Joost | +3 | 75 |
| 149 | O'KENNEDY, Hennie | +4 | 76 |
| | VAN NIEKERK, Danie | +4 | 76 |
| | DE JAGER, Louis | +4 | 76 |
| 152 | LAPORTA, Francesco | +5 | 77 |
| 153 | MAHONEY, Trevor | +7 | 79 |
| 154 | KOEKEMOER, Joshua (AM) | +8 | 80 |
| | BARNARD, Charl (AM) | +8 | 80 |
| 156 | HESS, Jacquin | +10 | 82 |
