PGA Tour-bound Kristoffer Reitan holds a three-shot lead after a low-scoring opening round at the Nedbank Golf Challenge, with England’s Marcus Armitage part of the chasing pack.
Reitan, one of 10 players who earned dual membership on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour for next season with their finish in the Race to Dubai standings, mixed 10 birdies with a lone bogey during an opening-round 63 at Gary Player CC in South Africa.
The Norwegian opened with back-to-back birdies and left himself a tap-in gain after a brilliant approach from a bunker at the par-four sixth, then jumped ahead by adding four more in a row from the eighth.
Reitan took advantage of the par-five 14th and birdied the next hole to get to nine under, before cancelling out a bogey at the par-four 17th by picking up a shot at the last to stay three ahead of Armitage, Adrien Saddier and Jesper Svensson.
“It was a brilliant day – very, very happy the way I played,” Reitan said. “Off the tee, in towards the greens, I was happy, and a couple of wedge shots that were really good, so that was nice to see, and I was rolling the putter well.”
Armitage raced ahead with six birdies in his first 10 holes and was eight under for the day until he double-bogeyed the par-five ninth – his final hole, while Svensson eagled both par-fives on the front nine and Saddier had six birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I made a lot of birdies and just had a lot of fun out there and yeah,” said Armitage, making his first start of the new DP World Tour season, “just been a cool day.”
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin was among a large group of players on four under that includes Julien Guerrier, Thomas Detry and Haotong Li, along with Garrick Higgo and Shaun Norris, while Viktor Hovland – the highest-ranked player in action – posted an opening-round 69.
Marco Penge – who challenged Rory McIlroy for Race to Dubai victory last season – sits tied-31st after carding an eagle, three birdies and five bogeys in an eventful level-par 72.
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