Erik van Rooyen got his Masters preparation off to a solid start with a two-under-par 70 in the opening round of the PGA Tour’s Valero Texas Open on the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
Although he was seven shots behind the lead which as held by Akshay Bhatia of the United States, he was in a share of 17th position. Bhatia’s nine-under 63 gave him a three-stroke lead over fellow-Americans Brendon Todd and Jastin Lower. Rory McIlroy was in a group of nine players on three-under in a share of eighth.
Van Rooyen had to overcome a double-bogey on the par-four 11th, when he flew the green with his approach, and then went all the way back over with his third. He put his fourth to six feet and two putted from there. But he had made three birdies on the front nine, and he made another on the 14th to undo some of the damage from the 11th.
Garrick Higgo opened with a level-par 72, with a double-bogey, three bogeys and five birdies to be in a share of 52nd, while Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who needs a big week if he is to sneak into the Masters, had a one-over 73 to start, with five bogeys and four birdies.
