Wilco Nienaber opened with a three-under-par 68 on Thursday to be in a share of 15th after the first round of the Challenge Tour’s Irish Challenge at Headfort Golf Club in Kells, Ireland.
Nienaber made five birdies and two bogeys, and was three strokes off the lead which was shared by Borja Virto of Spain and England’s Jamie Rutherford on six-under. They had a a one-stroke lead over four players, and there were eight players on four-under, one stroke ahead of Nienaber and 10 others.
Nienaber started his round on the 10th, and immediately made birdie. He picked up three more on 12, 14 and 16 ahead of the turn which he reached in four-under, but he made successive bogeys on one and two. He regained one of those lost strokes with a final birdie on the sixth.
JJ Senekal was one shot behind Nienaber in a share of 26th on two-under.
Further down the leaderboard and with word to be done if they are to make the cut were Brandon Stone, Jaco Prinsloo and Haydn Porteous, all on two-over in a share of 92nd. Keenan Davidse was on three-over, and Luke Jerling and Dylan Mostert on four-over.
