Slade Pickering played a scintillating opening round of seven-under-par 65 to lead by two strokes on day one of the Altron Big Easy Tour event at Blue Valley Golf Estate on Tuesday.
Pickering started like a house on fire on Tuesday, making three birdies on the trot before making a round-boosting eagle on the par-five fifth.
Three straight pars on the front nine sealed a bogey-free 31 on that stretch.
He added four more pars to his card before making further gains; birdieing the 14th to go six-under through 14.
“I started with those three birdies and the eagle and I kind of went blank on that stretch,” said Pickering in the post-round interview.
“To be fair, on the second hole I hit it into a bunker and I did have a great lie, with a bit of sand behind the ball. And then, when I hit it, it just popped out onto the green and rolled into the hole and then from there, I didn’t think, I just played.”
With the wind starting to pick up a little around Blue Valley, Pickering was not going to be overwhelmed.
Instead, he relied on information he’d collected during his practice round here as he navigated the first round of this 54-hole tournament.
“When I saw the wind this morning when I came to the golf course I just told myself that today I don’t have to fight the wind,” revealed Pickering.
“I just told myself that I need to play my game and not worry about the wind. I just went out and plotted my way around; played to my strengths and it worked. Most of my play was positioning; putting myself into positions where I was comfortable with the club and that worked out for me.”
Pickering, who plays out of Peacanwood Golf Estate, dropped a shot on the 16th en route to his near-perfect outing on Tuesday.
However, he was quick to shrug that off, with back-to-back birdies affirming a round of 65 and confirming Pickering’s spot atop the leaderboard.
Two shots off the pace after the first round lies Werner Deyzel. His eventful round consisted of four birdies, two eagles and two dropped shots.
Despite the two bogeys he made, Deyzel was pleased with his start at Blue Valley.
“I played well today,” he said. “The first 13 holes, I hit 13 greens and made a couple of putts and I was six-under at some stage. My strategy was just to hit good shots off the tee. My game is feeling good right now and the flat stick is working, so I am not complaining.”
Mauritian Pierre Pellegrin, last week’s winner Travis Ladner, Dylan O’Leary, Lyle Pedro, LB Boshoff, Caylum Boon and Cameron Moralee all carded rounds of 68 to share the third spot after the opening round.
Andrew Williamson, veteran Thabang Simon, Christopher Long and Warwick Purchase make up the top 10 on three-under-par.
SCORES:
65 - Slade Pickering
67 - Werner Deyzel
68 - Pierre Pellegrin, Lyle Pedro, Dylan O'Leary, LB Boshoff, Caylum Boon, Cameron Moralee, Travis Ladner
69 - Andrew Williamson, Christopher Long, Thabang Simon, Warwick Purchase
70 - Conner Mackenzie, Aneurin Gounden, Therion Nel, Reinhardt Blaauw, Ruan Groenewald, Harry Konig, Leon Vorster, Andrew McLardy
71 - Xander Basson, Philip Geerts, Alphius Kelapile, Jason Roets, Musiwalo Nethunzwi, Stals Swart, Christian Kriek, Zabastian de Jager, Franklin Manchest, Keelan Africa, Ricky Hendler, Andre Van Dyk, Reece Mc Kain
72 - DK Kim, Dayne Moore, Carlos Laranja, Ruan de Smidt, Noel Anderson, Siyanda Mwandla, Francois Van der Walt, Ryan Tipping
73 - Jabulane Mabilane, Henning du Plooy, Keegan Mclachlan, Matthew Rushton, Samuel Simpson, Luan Steenkamp, Tyrone Ryan, Leon Visser
74 - Jacquin Hess, Siphiwe Siphayi, Allister de Kock, Ruan Conradie, Carlo Heunis, Mandla Dlamini Jnr, Wade Jacobs, Slenda Sithebe, Evance Vukeya, Luke Trocado, Shalan Govender, Brandon Pieters
75 - Paul Boshoff, Rigardt Albertse, Jason Froneman, Lwazi Gqira, Johan Theron, Karabo Mokoena, Jonathan Waschefort
76 - Makhetha Mazibuko, Brandon Gildenhuys, Gerard du Plooy, James Pennington, Maritz Wessels, Francois van Staden, Jastice Mashego
77 - Coert Groenewald, Nicholaus Frade, Fezekile Kana, Steven Le Roux, Burt Gildenhuys, Shaheed Patel, Thabiso Ngcobo
78 - Elliot Bradley, Sentanio Minnie, Brandon-Jude Rennie, Sabelo Xolani Majola, Irvin Mazibuko
79 - Ricco Motsa, Andre De Decker
80 - Londa Mngadi, Mark Maart
81 - Tumelo Molloyi
82 - Jordan Duminy
85 - Gerard Moodley
87 - Llewellyn Leibrandt
WDN - Toto Thimba Jnr
RTD - Brandon Moodley