FILE PICTURE: Louis de Jager during round 1 of the Vodacom Origins of Golf hosted by Samsung at Wild Coast Sun Country Club on September 03, 2014 at Port Edward, South Africa. Picture: Petri Oeschger/Sunshine Tour/Gallo Images
While the remainder of the field found scoring tough on the 5 807m, par-70 layout on KwaZulu-Natal’s south coast, De Jager managed a round that included four birdies and an eagle to take the early lead.
An eagle on the par-four second hole set the tone for the day and was followed up by birdies at the par-five seventh and par-four ninth holes before scoring again on the 12th and 18th holes.
There’s a four-shot gap to Stuart Smith in second place with a round of three-under-par 67 – littered with five birdies and two bogeys – enough for the Botswana golfer. Jared Harvey, meanwhile, birdied the 18th in the afternoon rounds to move to joint-second.
The highlight of the day came courtesy of Peter Karmis who aced the par three 11th hole – his second of the day after going off the 10th tee – en route to a five-over-par 75.