After opening with a bogey on the 10th hole on Monday, Thabiso Ngcobo reeled off five threes in a row, including an eagle, on his way to a five-under-par 65 in the first round of the Bushveld Tour’s Race to Q-School #5.

Ngcobo made two more threes ahead of the turn at Killarney Country Club, which he reached in five-under 30. In the end, that eagle, six birdies and three bogeys took him to a one-stroke lead over Sunshine Tour player Stals Swart in the 54-hole tournament.

Of those threes on his front nine, four were birdies. He picked up another birdie-three on his homeward nine, which he played in level-par 35.

It is a field crammed with Sunshine Tour professionals, including Jacques Blaauw, who was in a share of third after his three-under-par 67 in the first round. He shared that position with amateur Judd Sundelson and Carter Rowe.

In a share of sixth, one stroke back on two-under, were five Sunshine Tour players in Stuart Krog of Zimbabwe, Travis Ladner, Oliver Goldhill, England’s Joe Knox and Keagan Thomas.