Daniel Greene (Gallo Images)

Port Elizabeth – Daniel Greene produced his best round in a tournament as a professional and carded a 10-under-par 62 to take a three-stroke lead in the first round of the Vodacom Business Origins Golf event at Humewood Golf Club.

His previous best was a seven-under-par 65 in the final round of the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt, where he finished third.

It was also the best round ever played at Humewood – the best prior to his mark was the 64 by Jeff Hawkes in 1981 and Chris Moody in 1994, and the 65 on the new course by Trevor Immelman – but it won’t stand as a coursed record as there were preferred lies.

Greene, a Sunshine Tour rookie, has only ever played one other links course – The Links at Fancourt – but he took to the conditions very well, and was impressive as the wind built up to a stiff breeze in the evening.

“It’s only the second time I have played Humewood,” he said, “but if I get a good start, then everything get a bit more positive.”

He leads from three experienced players who did not put a foot wrong, and, at seven-under, find themselves well adrift and wondering what it will take to hunt him down.

Jean Hugo, Ulrich van den Berg and Adilson Da Silva have won 18 tournaments between them, which is more than the total number Greene has played.

Hugo and Van den Berg each made seven birdies in a pair of flawless rounds played in each other’s company, while Da Silva made three birdies and two eagles.

None of that was enough to head Greene, who made his start on the 10th: “I had a good start with birdies on my first three holes,” he said. “And then, I just held it together and chipped it in for eagle on the 15th, or my sixth and before I knew it I was seven-under on my front nine.”

He sank a 40-footer from just off the green on his 10th hole, the first, and then his real touch was exhibited as the wind picked up and he kept himself in the hunt for birdies by playing smart golf.

“I just made par-par-par-par, and that’s all I wanted,” he said.

But he made a nice 12-footer for birdie on the 130-metre sixth and really leapt at his tee shot on the 525-metre seventh which was playing downwind, and made another birdie there.

He was 12 metres off the green on the eighth, but used putter and very nearly holed his third shot on his way to a really good par after his drive had gone right and his approach was also short and right.

One of the keys to his round that he was very long off the tee. “I’ve been struggling a bit with the driver, but it started coming right,” he said. “But as Louis Oosthuizen said, if you’re feeling a little bit nervous, just hit it as hard as you can.”

Now, he’s hoping for calm conditions for his early tee-off in the second round. “I want another good score and then see if anyone can chase me down,” he grinned.

Scores (RSA unless specified):

62 - Daniel Greene
65 - Jean Hugo, Ulrich van den Berg, Adilson Da Silva (BRA)
67 - Darren Blair, Kevin Stone, Shaun Norris
68 - Johan du Buisson, Alan Michell, Hendrik Buhrmann
69 - Derik Ferreira, Vaughn Groenewald, Brett Liddle, Grant Muller, Attie Schwartzel, Doug McGuigan
70 - Keenan Davidse, Patrick O'Brien, Theunis Spangenberg, Christiaan Basson, Titch Moore, Alex Haindl, Thabang Simon, Jaco van Zyl, Oliver Bekker
71 - Matthew Carvell, Ryan Cairns (ZIM), Dion Fourie, Tyrone Ferreira, Charl Coetzee, Lindani Ndwandwe, Des Terblanche, Michael Dreyer, PH McIntyre, Francois van Vuuren, Irvin Mazibuko, Eugen Marugi, Toto Thimba (Jnr), Louis Moolman
72 - Divan van den Heever, Reggie Adams, Jaco Ahlers, Nic Henning, Prinavin Nelson, Richard Kemp (ENG), Danie van Niekerk (Jnr), Steve van Vuuren, Mark Fensham, Neil Schietekat, Warren Abery, Mark Murless, Jake Roos
73 - Anthony Michael, Steve Basson, Darren Fichardt, Teboho Sefatsa, Omar Sandys, Justin Harding, PG van Zyl
74 - Heinrich Bruiners, Jake Redman, Louis de Jager, Willie van der Merwe
75 - Andrew Curlewis, Ivan van Onselen, Bradford Vaughan, Josh Cunliffe, Nicol van Wyk
76 - Ryan Tipping
78 - Cameron Johnston, Jacques Blaauw, Roberto Lupini