From Sunshine Tour

South African Benjamin van Wyk and his namesake, multiple Sunshine Tour champion Benjamin Follett-Smith from Zimbabwe both opened with 65s during Thursday’s first round of the Fortress Invitational at Glendower Golf Club to share the lead on seven under par.

Follett-Smith’s round included two eagles and four birdies, with one unfortunate drop on the par-four 18th hole.

Van Wyk’s round was highlighted by eight birdies and only one drop on the par-four seventh hole.

“I was hitting the ball very well from tee to green and I capitalised with my putting which was very good. I kept the momentum going, especially when I missed the green,” said Van Wyk.

Van Wyk has been working on improving his game between tournaments, and the effort has been rewarded with two recent top-10 finishes.

“I am feeling very good about my game. I have been working on my swing so it’s good to see some consistency where I can just rely on my putting,” Van Wyk added.

One shot back is a four-way share of second place on six under par with Martin Voster, Tyran Snyders, Daniel van Tonder and Warwick Purchase all scoring 66 for their first round.