Louis Oosthuizen opened the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club in Riyad, Saudi Arabia, with a six-under-par 65 on Wednesday to take a share of fifth place after the first round.
Oosthuizen picked up three birdies on the front nine, before dropping his only shot of the round on the 10th immediately after the turn. He made four more birdies in the five holes from the 12th to the 16th, and he finished the day three strokes off the lead.
Caleb Surratt and Adrian Meronk rekindled their magic with Riyadh Golf Club, shooting nine-under-par 62s to take the first-round. They led from Belgium’s Thomas Pieters who returned a 63 while Kiradech Aphibarnrat from Thailand shot a 64 in the final event of the season on The International Series, and the third from last stop on the Asian Tour calendar.
Both Surratt and Meronk have history at this venue. Surratt shot a course record 61 in this event last year in the third round before going on to lose in a play-off, while Meronk claimed the LIV Golf Riyadh title at the same venue in February.
Oosthuizen and England’s Paul Casey were tied for fifth following 65s, along with Korean Seonghyeon Kim and Colombia’s Sebastian Munoz.
Defending champion Niemann has work to do after a 72, while Australian Cam Smith, who was also in the play-off last year, came in with a 71.
The race to finish in the top two on The International Series Rankings to secure a place on the LIV Golf League moved one step closer. The leading three players in the rankings, Scott Vincent from Zimbabwe, Yosuke Asaji from Japan, and Filipino Miguel Tabuena were paired in the same group.
Vincent and Tabuena both carded 67s, while Asaji fired a 72. Vincent leads the rankings, with 325.59 points, ahead of Asaji in second, on 285.3, with Tabuena third, having earned 232.28 points.
However, with the winner this week set to earn 324 points, the race is wide open, meaning players further down on the Rankings also have a chance to grab one of the places at the very end.
Jaco Ahlers opened with a five-under-par 66 for a share of ninth, and Branden Grace had a three-under 68 for a share of 28th together with, amongst others, Kieran Vincent of Zimbabwe. Dean Burmester and Michael Hollick were in a share of 42nd on two-under, and Ian Snyman was on one-under.
Yurav Premlall carded a disappointing three-over 74, and Daniel van Tonder had a six-over 77.
