It might not have got him to the top of the leaderboard on Wednesday, but Jaco Ahlers would have been well pleased with his bogey-free opening round of four-under-par 67 in the Asian Tour’s PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club.
It gave him a share of 16th, just three shots off the first-round lead which was shared by Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Wei-lun and Sadom Kaewkanjana from Thailand. Korea’s Yubin Jang and Chilean Joaquin Niemann were next best placed after 65s, while American Peter Uihlein, who currently leads The International Series Rankings, is in a group of 11 players who carded 66.
“I only got my visa on Monday, which was the day I arrived,” laughed Chang. “It is a really big event, probably the biggest I have played in, so I am a little nervous.” Four birdies on the front and three on the back saw him upstage a field that includes 42 players from the LIV Golf League.
Ahlers made three birdies on the front nine, and one on the back nine, and he was one of 11 players on four-under-par.
Rupert Kaminski bogeyed the 17th after picking up four birdies on the front nine, and he was in a share of 27th on three-under-par. Also on three-under were Dean Burmester, who was bogey-free, Ian Snyman, who dropped his only shot on the 17th, and Jayden Schaper, who had six birdies, but made three bogeys on the back nine.
Louis Oosthuizen was on two-under with Branden Grace, and Charl Schwartzel was on level-par.
Jbe’ Kruger went one-over, and Neil Schietekat was on three-over.
