Ross Fisher started the 2015 Race To Dubai in style with a six under par 66 to lead after the opening round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge.
The 34 year old Englishman, who had the last of his five European Tour wins at the Tshwane Open in South Africa in March, holds a two shot advantage over George Coetzee, Marcel Siem and Alexander Levy at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.
Siem, playing in a group with Fisher and Coetzee, produced perhaps the most remarkable shot of the day. With an eight iron, his 183 yard approach to the par four 17th deflected off the right edge of the green and spun into the hole for an eagle that won the German a Volvo V40 T5.
Siem, who explained he will give the car to his mum, said: “It’s not the best golf shot at all for me in my career. I tried to draw it in and it stayed straight and hit the fringe and had a firm bounce to the left. It was really cool to hole that one.”
Fisher dropped just one shot in his round, at the par three 16th, and made all of his gains in birdies.
Having picked up shots at all four par fives on the course, he said: “I think the par fives are all scoreable. They are all reachable, but you've still got to hit two good shots.
“So par fives are quite key, but again, there are more scoreable holes out there. There's quite a lot of short par fours where if you get your driver in good position, you've got short irons into the greens, and the greens are putting well.
“So as long as you can read the putts well, there's definitely some scoreable holes out there.”
Fisher was level on five under with Coetzee after both carded birdie fours at the tenth, but moved ahead at the par five 14th when the South African did well to recover from a wayward approach for a par. Fisher doubled his advantage at the next, a par four, only to then slip up on 16. However, Coetzee dropped his sole shot at the last to sit alongside Siem and Levy.
Coetzee enjoyed playing alongside Fisher, saying: “I'm sure we fed off each other. I'm sure he's grateful for me, too.”
Fisher, who played at this tournament in 2009 and 2010, added: “I felt like I drove it really well. I didn't miss many fairways.
“Everyone's got their own way of playing this golf course. You can't really be too overly aggressive, but my style of golf, I like to hit driver a lot because I feel like I hit it quite long and I do generally hit it pretty straight.”
Europe Ryder Cup player Stephen Gallacher, European Tour 2014 Rookie of the Year Brooks Koepka and Miguel Angel Jiménez, the first player to tee off on the second longest course in European Tour history, are in a group of six on two under.
Jiménez, aged 50, said: “I'm the oldest guy in the field, probably the guy who played more years. Now I start my 27th season today on the first tee. It's nice to make the first shot of the season.”
Defending champion Thomas Bjørn had a poor first round, sitting last in the field of 30 on eight over.
