Nicholaus Frade carded a six-under-par 64 on Monday in the first round of the Bushveld Tour’s Race to Q-School Golferade Series #1 at Killarney Golf Club.

Frade’s seven birdies and one bogey gave him a one-stroke lead over Arno Pretorius, who made eight birdies, a bogey and a double-bogey in his 65. There were two players on 67 – Alex Belt and Pierre Pellegrin – and Ruan Groenewald, Ryan Tipping and Jonathan Kotzen shared fifth on two-under-par 68.

The 54-hole tournament is the first in a series of three events over the next three weeks, at the end of which the top four players on the mini-Order of Merit for the series will have their entry fees paid for the Sunshine Tour’s Qualifying School Final Stage at Heron Banks in April.

The first series winners in January were Keegan McLachlan, Travis Ladner, Ricky Hendler and Francois van der Walt.

The next two events in the current series will be held at Reading Country Club and Woodhill Country Club.