But for a double-bogey on his 15th hole on Thursday, JC Ritchie would have been even higher on the leaderboard than his eventual share of third after the first round of the DP World Tour’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

Ritchie carded a four-under-par 68 at the Emirates Golf Club, and that put him three strokes off the lead which was held by Francesco Molinari. Sweden’s Mikael Lindberg was second on five-under, and Ritche shared third with another Swede, Joel Girrbach.

Ritchie started his first round of the Rolex Series event on the 10th hole with an eagle. He birdied the 13th, but dropped a shot on the 15th. He picked up another stroke on the 17th ahead of the turn, and then reeled off three birdies on the trot from the second to the fourth.

On the par-four sixth, he left this approach short of the green and then skulled his chip from 24 yards over the green, further from the hole than he had been. He chipped to within six feet, and missed the bogey putt.

Amateur Christiaan Maas opened with a two-under-par for a share of 12th. He was the next best of the South Africans, and his round included four birdies and two bogeys.

Zander Lombard was on one-under in a share of 25th with Hennie du Plessis, Michael Hollick and Jayden Schaper, while Jacques Kruyswijk and Dylan Frittelli were in a share of 41st on level-par.

Dylan Naidoo and Casey Jarvis were on two-over in a share of 73rd with, amongst others, Richard Sterne. Brandon Stone, Thriston Lawrence and Darren Fichardt opened with four-over 76s, while Ockie Strydom and Shaun Norris both battled, carding 78 and 80 respectively.