Casey Jarvis overcame three bogeys in his round on Thursday with typical verve as he made an eagle and seven birdies on his way to a six-under-par 65 and a share of the lead after the first round of the Challenge Tour’s Farmfoods Scottish Challenge at Newmachar Golf Club in Aberdeenshire.

After missing the cut in his last two events after winning the Euram Bank Open on July 16, the young South African made two birdies early on in Scotland on the third and fourth. But he dropped two shots on the seventh and eighth to turn in level-par. Another birdie-bogey combination on 11 and 12 seemed to ignite something in the Challenge Tour leader, and he made an eagle followed by four consecutive birdies from the 14^th to the 18^th. His last five holes were in six-under-par, including that hole-out eagle on the par four 14^th.

“I had 141 yards in and holed it for eagle (at the 14th)”, said Jarvis. “It was the momentum I needed and I tried to ride that. I feel like things go my way in golf at the moment which is great. I’ve put in so much hard work and I’m really pleased to see it paying off.”

Jarvis shared the lead with Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand, the man who won the 2016 Zambia Sugar Open on the Sunshine Tour. Blomstrand’s round was bogey-free. He and Jarvis were one clear of seven players on five-under, with three players in a share of 10^th on four-under.

Keenan Davidse got off to a good start with a three-under-par 68, and, together with JJ Senekal and 12 others, was in a share of 13^th.

Jaco Prinsloo opened with a one-under-par 70 for a share of 47^th, while Haydn Porteous and Brandon Stone were on level-par in a share of 68^th. Darren Fichardt battled his way to a six-over-par 77 in his opening round.