Wilco Nienaber carded a flawless seven-under-par 65 at the home of golf on Thursday as he finished the first round of the DP World Tour’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship just one stroke off the lead.
With four birdies on the front nine and three on his way home, Nienaber was in a six-way share of fourth. The lead was shared at eight-under by Sweden’s Sebastian Soderberg, Adri Arnaus of Spain and Peter Uihlein of the United States. Arnaus carded his round on Carnoustie, while the other two both played at the Old Course, like Nienaber. The third course in use for the week is Kingsbarns.
Also carding a fine 65 in the first round on the Old Course was Zander Lombard, who made three birdies on the front nine and four on the homeward nine.
Louis Oosthuizen was the next-best of 24 South Africans in the field, with his five-under-par 67 coming on the most difficult layout of the three, Carnoustie. He, too, made seven birdies but dropped two shots with bogeys on the 13th and 18th.
Hennie du Plessis matched that opening 67 at the Old Course, while Jaco Prinsloo did the same at Kingsbarns. They were in a share of 23rd.
Jayden Schaper had a four-under 68 on the Old Course, and Dean Burmester and Christiaan Burke were on three-under on the Old Course. Dylan Naidoo was also on three-under after his 69 at Kingsbarns. That trio was in a share of 45th.
Ryan van Velzen and Luca Filippi were both on two-under after rounds at Kinsgbarns, and in a share of 60th. Oliver Bekker and Bryce Easton were one-under after their rounds at the Old Course, and Thomas Aiken matched that score at Carnoustie.
Louis Albertse and Dylan Mostert were on level-par, and Aldrich Potgieter, Yurav Premlall, Rupert Kaminski, Htiston Lawrence, Henni O’Kennedy, Matin Vorster, Pieter Moolman, Justin Walters, Casey Jarvis, Deon Germishuys and JC Ritchie were all over par for their first rounds.
