Henrik Stenson off to fast start at Nedbank Challenge as Danny Willett struggles
Saturday 12 November 2016 16:13, UK
Henrik Stenson put himself on course to extend his Race to Dubai lead over Danny Willett after Europe's top two experienced contrasting rounds on day one of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
Stenson produced a late birdie barrage to card a three-under 69 which left him just a shot off the lead at the tough Gary Player Country Club, but Willett's erratic recent form continued as he struggled to a 75.
Ross Fisher enjoyed five birdies and dropped only one shot at the 17th in a 68 which earned him a share of the first-round lead with Felipe Aguilar and Jeunghun Wang, while nobody in the 72-man field managed to complete 18 holes without a bogey.
Stenson arrived in Sun City with a commanding lead of 252,164 points over Willett, although the Swede got off to a slow start with five pars followed by a bogey at the sixth before he salvaged an outward 35 with birdies at eight and nine.
The Open champion erred again at the 13th, but his putter was on the money down the stretch as he reeled off three consecutive birdies from the 15th and knocked in a confident eight-footer to save par at the last and stay at three under.
Willett, who failed to take advantage of Stenson's absence in Turkey last week as he finished a lowly 68th, made an encouraging start when he converted a nice approach to five feet for birdie at the first, but it all went wrong for the Englishman at the par-five second.
The Masters champion hit a wild second which resulted in a penalty drop close to the next tee, from where he pitched into a bunker and took two further attempts to find the green as he ran up an ugly triple-bogey eight.
Willett also bogeyed the third and eighth to turn in 40, although he did manage three birdies against two further bogeys on the inward half to end the day seven strokes behind the leaders.
Aguilar was first into the clubhouse on four under after the Chilean birdied two of the last three holes, and he was later joined by Wang as he also mixed five birdies with one bogey.
Fisher was one of only 11 players to make a birdie at the 18th as he atoned for his blemish at the penultimate hole, while Stenson joined his Ryder Cup team-mate Chris Wood in a seven-way share of fourth place.
Alex Noren, who lifted his third European Tour title of the season at the British Masters last month, was another to fire a 69 along with George Coetzee, whose entertaining card featured two of the five eagles made by the entire field over the round.
Coetzee carded threes at the second and 14th and picked up three birdies, although he did also have two bogeys - including one at the 18th - and a double-bogey at the eighth.
Scott Hend was flying high on three under until he closed with a double-bogey at the last, but the Australian was at least one of just 20 players who managed to break the par of 72.
Live European Tour Golf
