Neil Schietekat fixed his putting grip late last year and it paid dividends on Thursday as he fired a nine-under-par 62 to take the first round lead of the ?1.3-million Joburg Open being played on the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington East and West courses. The tournament is the richest of the four Sunshine Tour events co-sanctioned by the European Tour, and is the fourth in the 2010 Race to Dubai.

"It's all about putting, and I actually changed my putting grip just before the Alfred Dunhill Championship and it?s started to pay off now,? said Schietekat of his round that had nine birdies and no dropped shots.

"When I teed off today, I thought that we were on the easier course, the West course, and I knew that around five- or six-under would be a good one," he said. "And then I made a lot of putts. I hit the ball pretty solid, and I putted really well."

Schietekat had to wait out a one hour and 42 minute break as there was a lightning threat, but he finished with yet another birdie attempt on 18 which nearly went in.

Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and Northern Ireland?s Darren Clarke teed off early and beat the lightning to share second place with Jbe? Kruger and the English duo of Simon Khan and David Lynn.

Playing together on the West course, considered by most of the 210-man field to be the easier of the two, Schwartzel and Clarke each carded eight-under-par 63 on the shorter of the two layouts ? the West course is 6,509 metres (7,119 yards) and the East is 6,940 metres (7,592 yards).

Double-bogey

Schwartzel, who won last week?s Africa Open, made his total despite a double-bogey six on the 12th where he four-putted. But that was after an incredible run of seven consecutive birdies which started at the fifth.

He had started with a birdie on the second, and then he made that career-best tally of consecutive birdies: "I think seven is the most I have made," he said. "I made six at a tournament somewhere, I can?t remember where."

Clarke, on the other hand, was steady and flawless as he opened with birdies on one and two, and picked up three more ahead of the turn.

Despite that, he was still one behind Schwartzel at that point, but three more on the way in ? including one at the 17th ? drew him level.

"I hit it close a lot of times, and the only putt I really holed was on 17 from about 20 feet,? said Clarke of his round.

Kruger followed up his third-place finish at the Africa Open with just a single bogey in his round, and, with his stated preference for hitting long irons, his eight-under on the West course could be converted into a challenging halfway total on the longer West course.

Lynn and Khan had to wait out the lightning delay. Khan?s round included an eagle and two bogeys, while Lynn had two bogeys and 10 birdies.

The best score from the East course came from Barry Lane and Danny Willett, the English pair each carding six-under 65s which will stand them in good stead as they take on the West course in the second round.

Defending champion and 2009 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit winner Anders Hansen of Denmark had a round of one-over 73 on the East course.