Defending champion George Coetzee carded a superb 11-under-par 61 on Thursday to take a commanding five-stroke lead after the first round of the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at De Zalze Golf Club.

Coetzee made nine birdies and an eagle in a bogey-free start to his title defence in the first Vodacom Origins of Golf event of the 2022-23 season. That put him well clear of Zimbabwe’s Ryan Cairns, Adam Breen, Albert Venter and last week’s winner on the Sunshine Tour, Jaco Prinsloo.

Coetzee started his round on the 10^th with three consecutive pars, and that remained the quietest part of his day for the rest of the round. He made three birdies in a row from 13 to 15, and picked up a fourth on his opening nine on the 17^th. Then he holed his second shot on the par-four 18^th for his eagle.

After the turn, he once again made three birdies in a row from the first to the third. He made two more gains on the fifth and eighth to come home in 31 after going out in 30.

In last year’s event, he opened with a 63 and was never headed as he romped to his 12^th Sunshine Tour title by three shots from Jaco Ahlers and Tristen Strydom. Neither of those players is in the field this year.

Behind the four players in a share of second were Kyle Barker, Jacquin Hess and Wynand Dingle, all on five-under 67 and six strokes off the lead. England’s Joe Long and South Africans Merrick Bremner and Estiaan Conradie were in a share of ninth on four-under-par.