South Africans MJ Daffue and Erik van Rooyen opened the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans with an eight-under-par 64 on Thursday in betterball competition to be in a share of 14th in the only team competition on the tour.
As a team, they recorded an eagle and six birdies to be three shots off the lead of 11-under which was shared by Beau Hossler and Wyndham Clark of the United States and compatriots Sean O’Hair and Brandon Matthews. They were one clear of five pairs, including the English Fitzpatrick brothers Matthew, the US Open champion, and his sibling Alex.
Daffue contributed the eagle on the 11th after the duo started their round on the 10th, and he made three birdies, on the 18th third and eighth. Van Rooyen made birdies on 16, two and seven to make his contribution to the score.
The third South African in the field, Dylan Frottelli, who was paired with German Matti Schmid, were on six-under 66, with Schmid contributing four and Frittelli two birdies to the cause. That had them in a share of 43rd.
