Andrew McArthur, Jamie McLeary and Scott Henry were sharing sixth place after round one of the Tshwane Open but the Scottish trio were already playing catch up as local hopeful Justin Harding surged to the front at the Pretoria club.
While McArthur, McLeary and Henry all posted two-under 68s, Harding covered his back-nine in five-under as he lifted himself to the head of the field with a seven-under 63.
McArthur, making only his second start of the new season, had four birdies and two bogeys in his 68 while Henry picked up a birdie on his final hole to join his fellow Scot on the two-under mark. McLeary, meanwhile, slipped back with bogeys on the 16th and 18th after an early thrust which saw him birdie the second and the third and make an eagle on the ninth.
Harding, who has missed his first three cuts on the tour this season, had been two-under at the turn and mounted a major offensive on the inward half as he reeled of a hat-trick of birdies at 11, 12 and 13 before closing with a brace of gains at the 17th and 18th to finish a shot ahead of compatriot Michael Anthony. "I have been struggling the last couple of events so that has given me a bit of a confidence boost,” said Harding.
George Coetzee, the defending champion, opened with a 68 while Charl Schwartzel, the former Masters champion, had to settle for a one-over 71.
On the Ladies European Tour, a six-strong Scottish posse will line-up in the season-opening ISPS Handa New Zealand Open in Christchurch this weekend.
Kylie Walker, Heather MacRae, Pamela Pretswell, Kelsey MacDonald, Sally Watson and tour rookie Gemma Dryburgh form part of a field that is headlined by the world No 1, Lydia Ko.
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