Aiken off to a flyer
01/05/2012 07:53:25 PM
South African Thomas Aiken has a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Africa Open in East London on Thursday.
The 28-year-old carded a nine-under par 64 round the East London Golf Club course, closing his round with three successive birdies after earlier eagling the third and 11th.
That effort was enough to move him one stroke clear of his compatriot and dual US Open winner Retief Goosen, whose 65 included nine birdies offset by a lone bogey at nine, and another South African, Jaco Ahlers, who is also on eight under.
Welshman Phillip Price joins South African pair Michael du Toit and Dean O'Riley on seven under the card, while six men are tied for seventh on six under - South Africans Shaun Norris and JJ Senekal, France's Charles-Edouard Russo, English pair Richard Brand and Danny Willett plus Dutchman Maarten Lafeber.
South African Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, is on four under the card after shooting a first-round 69.
The only two Australians in the field Daniel Gaunt and Scott Strange are languishing in a tie for 115th after both carded even par rounds of 73.