Mike Green (Sunshine Tour Communications Manager)

Wild Coast Sun - The wind didn’t get up too much at the Wild Coast Sun Country Club and Alex Haindl shot a five-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead of the Nashua Masters.

Just a single dropped shot marred his round, but six birdies made up for that on a day in which the wind threatened but never really became as spiteful as it can over the hilly course.

Haindl was happy with his score: “Five-under-par on this golf course with the wind being up a bit and playing long is a good score,” he said.

“The way the course was playing, it definitely made you think today,” he said. This was after play got underway two hours late to give the course time to dry out after heavy rains on Wednesday had left greens and fairways waterlogged, and bunkers full of water.

“Obviously you hit a few more fairways because the ball can’t run out,” added Haindl.

No fewer than six players shared second at four-under-par in an incomplete first round. Defending champion Marc Cayeux of Zimbabwe headed up that group, with an eagle and three birdies.

Darren Fichardt and Titch Moore were also in that group with England’s Ricky Lee and Alan McLean, the Scottish South African who lives in Canada with completed rounds of 66 on the par-70 course.

Moore is a player who has gone close to winning at the Nashua Masters on a couple of occasions: “I just enjoy the course. It makes you think, and it’s all about course management, and I like that,” he said by way of explanation.

Also finishing on 66 was new pro Riaan de Bruyn, who shot six birdies in his round, but dropped twice – once on the first and once on the 10th.

Behind them were South Africa’s Darren Holder and England’s Neil Cheetham, sharing ninth spot on three-under 67 together with Thomas Aiken, David Drysdale of Scotland, Jbe’ Kruger and Jaco Ahlers.

There was a large group of 17 players on two-under 68 when the sirens went soon after 7pm when it became too dark to continue. Included in that group was last week’s Dimension Data Pro-Am winner Deane Pappas.

There were still 12 players who had to complete their rounds.

Scores at the conclusion of play in the first round of the Nashua Masters (RSA unless specified):
 
Par = 70

-5 - Alex Haindl

-4 - Ricky Lee (ENG), Titch Moore, Alan McLean (SCO), Darren Fichardt, Riaan de Bruyn, Marc Cayeux (ZIM)

-3 - Darren Holder, Neil Cheetham (ENG), Thomas Aiken, Jaco Ahlers, David Drysdale (SCO), Jbe' Kruger

-2 - Jon Bethwaite, Bafana Hlophe, Alan Michell, Gerlou Roux, Andre Cruse, Jaco Van Zyl, Louis de Jager, Deane Pappas, Merrick Bremner, Clinton Whitelaw, Ryan Tipping, Bradford Vaughan, Chris Williams, Justin Walters (ENG), Branden Grace, Doug McGuigan, Tyrone Mordt

-1 - Christian Ries, Callie Swart, Michael du Toit, Christiaan Basson, Dylan Docherty, Darryn Lloyd, Warren Abery, Adilson da Silva (BRA), Lindani Ndwandwe, Michiel Bothma, Thomas Raatgever [15]

Par - Mohamed Tayob, Bobby Lincoln, Tyrone van Aswegen, Dion Fourie, Wallie Coetsee, Irvin Mazibuko, Louis Moolman, Peter Karmis, Vaughn Groenewald, Martin Maritz, Nic Henning, Mark Murless

+1 - Mike Curtis (ZIM), Charl Coetzee, Oliver Bekker, Jean Hugo, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Lyle Rowe, Joseph Mohulatsi, Niki Ferrari (GER), Wynand Dingle, Jeremy Kavanagh (ENG), Reggie Adams, Bradley Davison, Henk Alberts, Thabang Simon, Dean Lambert, Jacques Blaauw, Andre Bossert (SUI), Rossouw Loubser, PG van Zyl [15], Johan du Buisson [15]

+2 - Bennie van der Merwe, Sean Farrell (ZIM), Attie Schwartzel, Divan van den Heever, Andrew Curlewis, Grant Muller, Ross Wellington, Dale Burraston, Callie Burger, Teboho Sefatsa, Tyrone Ferreira, Desvonde Botes, David Hewan, Steve van Vuuren, Francois van Vuuren, Nemanja Savic (SER) [15]

+3 - Willie van der Merwe, John Bele, Steve Basson, Ulrich van den Berg, Eugen Marugi, Nico van Rensburg, Robert Wiederkehr (SUI), Roy Mugglestone (ENG), Ryan Thompson, Alphuis Kelapile, Shaun Norris

+4 - Dismas Indiza (KEN), Jeff Inglis (ENG), Jeff Hawkes, Theunis Spangenberg, Ryan Cairns (ZIM), Chris Davison, Brandon Pieters, Neil Schietekat, Josh Cunliffe, TC Charamba (ZIM), Cameron Johnston, Johary Raveloarison (MAD), Alain Norris [15], Juan Langeveld [15], Kieran Court [15], Mark Williams [15], Gerhard Rautenbach [15]

+5 - Wesley Horngren, Jacques Beukes, Keenan Paulsen, Gerhard Trytsman, Prinavin Nelson, Dawie Van der Walt, Tsietsi Chabangu [15]

+6 - Brett Liddle, Roberto Lupini, Shaun Ellis, Omar Sandys, Grant Veenstra, Francois Olivier [15]

+7 - Garry Hill, Albert Pistorius, Andrew Wilson, Stuart Clark (WAL), Derick Petersen, Greg Upneck, Heinrich Bruiners, PH McIntyre

+8 - Don Black, Chris Moss (ENG), Morne Buys, Toto Thimba (Jnr)

+9 - Shika Letoaba

+13 - Clifford Ndou [15]