Christiaan Bezuidenhout led the way for 11 South Africans on Thursday in the European Tour’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open at the Renaissance Club, North Berwick as he carded a two-under-par 69.
He shared that opening score with former champion Brandon Stone, after Lee Westwood had led the way with his superb opening 62. That was only good enough for a one-stroke lead as Joost Luiten of Holland and Swede Alexander Bjork carded a pair of 63s.
Bezuidenhout started with a bogey on the second sandwiched between a pair of birdies on one and three, and he picked up another shot on the 11th in an otherwise quiet round. Stone had four birdies and two bogeys on his card.
Erik van Rooyen, George Coetzee, Shaun Norris and Dean Burmester all started the tournament with level-par 71s, Garrick Higgo and Thomas Aiken signed for 72s, Justin Harding and Haydn Porteous carded 73s and Justin Walters was four-over on 75.