Thriston Lawrence had hit the front when play was suspended due to dangerous weather on Thursday in the first round of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club as he moved to six-under-par with one hole left to play.
Lawrence started his round on the 10th, and had a on his first hole, but a bogey on the 11th set him back somewhat. He got things back on track with an eagle on the par-five 14th, and he made birdie on the 17th to turn in three-under. A birdie on the fourth and an eagle-two on the par-four sixth got him to six under, and he was playing the ninth when the siren brought play to a premature end.
He shared the lead with Spain’s Angel Hidalgo, who had completed his round with a six-under 65. In third, and also finished, was England’s Ashley Chesters on five-under-par 65. There were seven players on four-under, all of who had completed their round, except Zander Lombard and Italy’s Lorenzo Scalise. They each had a hole left to play.
Hennie du Plessis and Dylan Frittelli were the two South Africans who were on four-under after an unusually cool and eventually windy day at Randpark. Both made bogey on their second last holes for the day, seeing them slip back a shot from what would have been an even stronger position.
Stephen Ferreira, the Sunshine Tour player who plays under the Portuguese flag, had a three-under 68, together with Shaun Norris. Michael Palmer, Oliver Bekker, Justin Harding, Jean Hugo, Luke Brown, Jbe’ Kruger and CJ du Pleiss were all on two-under, but Brown, Kruger and Du Plessis still had to complete their rounds.
Pre-tournament favourite Dean Burmester had a slow start after hitting the first shot ever played on the newly-named DP World Tour, making two birdie and three bogeys on his way to one-over 72 and a share of 68th.
