DP World Tour: Scotland's Connor Syme one shot off the lead after first round of SDC Championship
Connor Syme shoots seven birdies and three bogeys in windy conditions en route to four-under 68 on day one of DP World Tour's SDC Championship in South Africa; Scottish player trails co-leaders David Ravetto and Kristian Krogh Johannessen by just one stroke
Last Updated: 16/03/23 6:00pm
Connor Syme is just one shot off the lead after round one of the DP World Tour's SDC Championship in South Africa with the Scottish player saying he felt at home in gusty conditions.
The 27-year-old coped with winds of up to 35mph at St Francis Links as he carded a four-under 68 to sit in third place, behind co-leaders David Ravetto of France and Kristian Krogh Johannessen of Norway.
Syme, still seeking a first win on the DP World Tour, said after recording seven birdies and three bogeys: "It was very challenging, to be fair. There were a lot of tees moved up to make it a bit more playable for us, but it was tough.
"You had to keep your ball flight down and I used my experience from playing in Scotland by hitting a lot of low drivers and punched shots into the wind. Overall, I definitely made a few mistakes but a lot of good birdies.
"I drove it nicely and that's really the main challenge of this golf course. The fairways are generous enough but, if you miss them, you are absolutely screwed."
Johannessen recorded the only bogey-free round of the day while Ravetto picked up six birdies and a solitary dropped shot in the Eastern Cape.
Netherlands' Joost Luiten triple-bogeyed the par-four eighth hole but still managed to post a three-under 69 with the help of a stunning albatross on the par-five 13th.
Luiten is in a share of fourth place, while England's Matthew Baldwin and Daniel Brown are in ninth after carding two-under 70s on the opening day.
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