On a tough day for scoring at Real Club Valderrama, Sotogrande, Spain, Zander Lombard was the best of the South Africans at one-over-par 72 in the first round of the European Tour’s Estrella Damm NA Andalucía Masters.
Lombard was in a share of 22nd after the opening round with two bogeys and a birdie on bis card, and he was five shots off the lead held by France’s Julien Brun. Brun carded a four-under 67 with six birdie sand two bogeys and he had a one-stroke lead over last week’s European Tour winner, Rafa Cabrera-Bello. Brun’s countryman Romain Langasque was in third on two-under.
An indication of how tough the scoring was is given by the fact that world number one Jon Rahm carded a seven-over-par 78 to be in a share of 107th.
Next best of the South Africans was Wilco Nienaber on three-over in 57th, together with Justin Harding. George Coetzee carded a five-over 76, while Daniel van Tonder was on six-over. Justin Walters signed for eight-over 79, and Haydn Porteous was in a share of 123rd on 11-over.
