Henrik Stenson tied for the lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge
Friday 4 December 2015 21:59, UK
Henrik Stenson got his final chance to avoid a winless 2015 off to a strong start by taking a share of the opening-round lead at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The 2008 champion, who is due to have a minor knee operation after this week's event in South Africa, posted a bogey-free 66 at Gary Player CC to join Jaco Van Zyl at the top of the leaderboard.
The Swede made a lightning start by birdieing four of his opening seven holes, before following a tap-in gain at the ninth by getting up-and-down from a bunker at the next to set up an eight-foot birdie and move two strokes clear.
Defending champion Danny Willett matched Stenson's four at the 10th and moved within one of the lead by picking up another shot at the 15th, as Van Zyl posted three gains in a four-hole stretch along the back nine move in to a share of the lead.
After the South African two-putted from 12 feet at the last to miss out on the chance to claim the outright advantage, Stenson left his birdie putt from a similar distance short of the pin to keep the pair at six under.
Willett, whose victory 12 months ago helped him end the season second in the Race to Dubai standings, had the chance to make it a three-way tie for the lead but saw his eight-footer at the 18th flick the right edge of the cup.
Branden Grace had also briefly been one adrift until a blemish on the penultimate hole, with an opening-round 68 matching that of one-time clubhouse leader Marc Leishman and leaving the pair tied-fourth.
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Three early gains from Ross Fisher had temporarily left him top of the 30-man field, but the Englishman lies in the group including Matt Fitzpatrick and Russell Knox, making his first start since taking up full European Tour membership, three strokes off the pace.
Keegan Bradley's eventful round saw him bounce back from an opening-hole triple-bogey to birdie the next five, only to end the day level par after a gain at the last.
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