Home /
Schwartzel shares Alfred Dunhill Championship lead
MALELANE, South Africa (7 December 2006) ? South Africa's Charl Schwartzel made a strong charge towards his second Alfred Dunhill Championship title in three years when he finished the first round in a five-way tie for the lead at Leopard Creek on Thursday. Schwartzel, countryman Wayne de Haas, Italy's Alessandro Tadini and Englishmen Oliver Wilson and Phillip Archer all opened with rounds of four under par 68 and head the field by a single stroke.

Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart is amongst a group of players on three under. Defending champion Ernie Els opened with a level par 72, while Lee Westwood did well to finish at one over par after closing out his first nine with a triple bogey and double bogey at two of his final three holes.

Schwartzel continued with his superb form at Leopard Creek and in this event, which he won in 2004 and finished second to Els in 2005.

He made a solid start when he birdied four of his first six holes, including the first from 12 feet and then the difficult third from the same distance.

His only dropped shot of the day came at the par-four eighth, where he drove into the fairway bunker and was up against the face, preventing him from going for the green with his second.

An inability to birdie any of the par fives was a concern for the young star, but one which could be offset by the fact that he birdied several par fours.

'That's always an indication that you're swinging well,' he said. 'I was in play on all of the par fives and certainly had chances to make birdies, so that was a bit of a downside to the round. But overall I felt like I played very well.'

Of the leaders Schwartzel is certainly the favourite on a course he knows exceptionally well, and at the end of his most successful year to date.

'It's never bad to be in the lead or tied for the lead. I've played this course so many times and I've won here before. I'm hitting the ball well and putting well. And we?ll have fresh greens in the morning. The greens were getting a bit bumpy in the afternoon. So we could be off and running in the second round.'

The heat was typically intense in the first round, peaking at 37 degrees and affecting some of the European players.

'Lee (Westwood) told me he felt it was very hot,' Schwartzel said of his playing partner. 'But it wasn?t unbearable for me.'

Tadini also felt it.

'In Italy it is about ten degrees at the moment,' he said.

Wilson felt heat of a different kind when he stepped onto the par-five 18th tee at three under, and with memories of his 2004 collapse in his mind.

The former Walker Cup player was tied for 25th place playing this hole on his last appearance here in 2004. But he went on to make a 10, finding the water twice.

'I had visions of it happening again,' he said.

This time, though, he birdied the hole to claim a share of the lead.

Michael Vlismas on 2006-12-08