Gothenburg in Sweden is as far removed from the Gary Player Country Club as you get on the golfing planet, but Henrik Stenson looked quite at home under a hot African sun, nailing eight birdies and an eagle to take the course apart on the opening day of the 2008 Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City with a majestic nine-under-par 63.

"It was a great," the Swedish world number 12 said after an opening round that left him five clear of South Africa's Rory Sabbatini.

"I've had some good scores here in the past, and it's a course I really like." That much was evident, as Stenson hit seventeen greens in regulation, attacking the pin consistently, and setting himself up with numerous birdie opportunities.

He was three-under after the opening three holes, and managed eagle at 14 after two great three-woods and a wonderful flop shot from the fringe that found the hole.

The flop shot was beautifully executed, but it was a seven-iron out of a fairway bunker on three to ten feet that was probably the shot of the day; he missed a shortish putt for birdie on 18, and what would have been an improbable ten-under, and a course record. "I did not know what the course record was," he laughed after his round. "If somebody had told me, I would have shot one better!"

Nine-under was still good enough for a substantial lead over Sabbatini, making his second appearance at Sun City.

"It worked out well for me," the Durban-born golfer said after his 68. "I would have liked to have made more putts, but I'm happy with the way I played. And I'm trying to keep out of the rough as much as possible — I've heard about all these spitting cobras and things!"

It was Stenson rather than poisonous snakes who looked most dangerous on day one, but while Sabbatini is some way back, there's a lot of golf to be played, and a number of players showed glimpses of the form that may yet emerge at this year's tournament, with England's Lee Westwood chief amongst them.

Westwood overcame an opening bogey to post a steady two-under 70, leaving him one of just three players under-par; no mean effort for a man who's had a four week break from the game. "I've been away after having my tonsils out, so I was a bit tired," he said afterwards, but looked in good touch at Sun City.

Debutante James Kingston, the Sunshine Tour summer swing winner, offset three bogeys with three birdies for a level-par start, finishing alongside fellow South African Trevor Immelman, the Masters champion bogeying 17 on what was a tough day out. They were two of six players who shot 72, favourite Sergio Garcia, KJ Choi, Luke Donald and Robert Karlsson the other four.

Karlsson, this year's European Order of Merit winner, looked set to continue his excellent year, turning at three-under, but a double on 11 saw him stumble home in 39, on a course that historically delights in tormenting first-timers. Karlsson didn't have it as bad as Miguel Angel Jimenez, though, the Spaniard playing golf watching amateurs would have readily identified with on the par-three 16th: three fresh air shots with a wedge under his ball taking him to a sobering triple bogey.

Jimenez props up the field, not a good omen for a man who's finished last (2000) and second last (1999) in his two previous appearances at the event; at 75, he sits two behind Justin Rose and Kenny Perry, and while none of the three are out of contention, there's an awful lot of work to be done after Stenson's blazing start.

"I was a bit tired coming into the tournament, but it went well," Stenson, whose Dubai base will have him better prepared for the Pilanesberg heat than life in Sweden, wrapped up after tying Ernie Els's course record. "But even though I've made ground on the field, tomorrow I have to stick my head down and do my business for another three days."

On the basis of Thursday's golf, just one more day of the same could well be enough to make him a very difficult man to beat.


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