Aiken heads home charge
South Africans dominate on opening day of new European Tour season
Home favourites Thomas Aiken and Retief Goosen set the early pace as the new European Tour season got underway at the Africa Open in East London on Thursday.
Aiken shot a superb nine-under-par 64 to end the first round with a one-shot lead over the field, with two-time major winner champion Goosen leading the chasing pack alongside compatriot Jaco Ahlers.
Two more South Africans, Michael Du Toit and Dean O'Riley, share fourth with Phillip Price of Wales on seven-under, while Englishmen Danny Willett and Richard Bland are part of a six-man group one stroke further back at six-under.
First round leaderboard
Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen came with a back-nine surge to boost his hopes of a successful defence and finished the day on four-under after a double-bogey had undermined a promising start.
Aiken and Goosen - who played together in the first grouping of the day - took advantage of ideal morning conditions to make the early running.
Things did not start well for Goosen who, after striking the first shot of the new season, went on to make a bogey down the opening hole, the ninth.
But the 42-year-old hit back in stunning style with a run of five straight birdies from the 11th to the 15th and then added three more in the space of four holes between the 18th and the third.
Goosen - who finished last season at the top of the European Tour's putting statistics - again demonstrated his confidence with the belly-putter as he rolled in the ninth and final birdie of his round at the sixth. -http://www1.skysports.com/
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