It couldn’t have been a better start for Brooklin Bailey of the United States on Thursday in the first round of the Sunshine Tour’s Gary & Vivienne Player Challenge at Selborne Park Golf Club as he took the first-round lead with an eight-under-par 64.

Bailey, who finished in the top-10 in the Vodacom Origins of Golf event at Highland Gate at the end of last month, eagled the first hole of the day to kickstart his campaign. He followed it with a birdie on two and another on three. He dropped his only shot of the day on four, and didn’t pick up any more shots on the outward nine as he turned in three-under 33. But he made five birdies on the homeward nine, on 10, 12, 13, 15 and 17, coming home in 31.

His 64 put him one clear of Ruan Korb, Sean Bradley and Albert Venter who were all on seven-under 65. There were five players on six-under-par 66, including veteran Hennie Otto and Port Elizabeth amateur Kyle de Beer.

It was a low-scoring day at Selborne, with 33 players breaking 70, and a further 26 players were under par. Level-par was good enough for only a share of 60^th.

The man who had a breakthrough win with his victory at Highland Gate on the Sunshine Tour after 12 years of trying, Anthony Michael, had a solid start with his four-under 68 giving him a share of 15^th.

The last man to win at Selborne on the Sunshine Tour, Jaco Ahlers, opened with a five-under 67. That gave him a share of 10^th.

Of the three players in a share of second, Bradley was the only one to go bogey-free.