Johannesburg - The Telkom PGA Championship opened on the kind of low-scoring note that meant a round of seven-under-par 65 was good enough for only a three-way tie for the lead after the first round on Thursday.

Jean Hugo, Thomas Aiken and the unheralded Toto Thimba signed for three bogey-free rounds on the Woodmead course, and even this gives them only a one-stroke lead over the field.

Oliver Bekker, Dion Fourie and Ryan Thompson are their nearest challengers following a day when nearly half the field broke par.

“It looks like it’s going to be one of those weeks where you have to shoot 66, 66 and 66 just to be in the hunt,” was how Bekker summed it up.

Joint leader Hugo is already talking about needing to get to at least 20-under par to stand a chance on the final day.

“My wife said to me after my round that you always want to be behind by a few rather than in front where the pressure is. But we need to get to 20 under at least to stand a chance this week. So if you can pick up as many shots early on then it doesn’t matter if you’re in front or not,” he said.

Aiken has been playing so well this summer that a major victory cannot elude him for much longer.

“I’m right up there again, which is always nice,” said the golfer who carded a memorable 61 in the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December.

Aiken eagled the par-five 6th after hitting driver and then six-iron to 15 feet. He birdied his final three holes for a share of the lead despite struggling with a groin injury.

Hugo felt he let a definite birdie chance slip at the 6th. Caught between a four iron and a five iron for his approach, Hugo opted for the five and overshot the green to settle for a tame par.

But he did most of his scoring with a magnificent run of six birdies in eight holes over the turn.

“A 65 is a good start, but a 64 sounds so much better,” said Hugo, who after setting the clubhouse mark early in the round wasn’t convinced his round of seven under would stand for the day.

“There isn’t really a difficult hole out there. If you hit it on the correct side of the pin then you have some easy putts, and this course gives you chances. With no real rough, it’s a little easier off the tee.”

Thimba is leading the biggest tournament in his young career, and is determined not to let it get to him.

“I was very focused out there and I just need to go out there and do the same again and be patient. I just want to enjoy myself and stay relaxed,” said Thimba, who has a conditional card for the Asian Tour this year.

Behind the three leaders, Thompson will feel he definitely failed to get the most out of his round. He signed for a 29 on his first nine, opening with an eagle at his first hole and then making five consecutive birdies to the turn. But he followed it up with a disappointing second nine of 37.

Scores after the first round of the Telkom PGA Championship being played on the par-72 Woodmeand course at Country Club Johannesburg (RSA unless specified):

65 - Jean Hugo, Thomas Aiken, Toto Thimba (Jnr)

66 - Oliver Bekker, Ryan Thompson, Dion Fourie

67 - Divan van den Heever, Branden Grace, Jacques Blaauw, Tyrone Mordt, Eugen Marugi, Hennie Otto, Vaughn Groenewald, Desvonde Botes, PH McIntyre, Robert Wiederkehr (SUI)

68 - Dewald Smit, Dale Burraston, Theunis Spangenberg, Albert Pistorius, Titch Moore, Tjaart van der Walt, Graham DeLaet (CAN), Michiel Bothma, John Bele, Rolf Muntz (NED), Lyle Rowe, Marc Cayeux (ZIM), Tyrone van Aswegen, Neil Schietekat

69 - Andre Cruse, Tyrone Ferreira, Ulrich van den Berg, Mark Murless, Merrick Bremner, Trevor Fisher Jnr, Louis Moolman, Peter Karmis, George Coetzee, Andrew Curlewis, Charl Coetzee, James Kingston, Anders Hansen (DEN), Louis de Jager, Kevin Stone, Mike Curtis (ZIM), Bennie van der Merwe

70 - Chris Moss (ENG), Deane Pappas, Ryan Cairns (ZIM), Brett Liddle, Jaco Van Zyl, Teboho Sefatsa, Juan Langeveld, Heinrich Bruiners, Darren Fichardt

71 - Josh Cunliffe, Don Black, Callie Swart, Dawie Van der Walt, Rossouw Loubser, Darryn Lloyd, Willie van der Merwe, Cameron Johnston, Francois Olivier, Greg Upneck, Michael du Toit, Warren Abery, Lindani Ndwandwe, Wallie Coetsee, Jbe' Kruger, Johan du Buisson

72 - Mike Michell, Ashley Roestoff, PG van Zyl, Omar Sandys, Grant Muller, Alan McLean (SCO), Brandon Pieters, Morne Buys, Nic Henning, Johan van Vuuren, Nemanja Savic (SER), Richard Kemp (ENG), Paul Marks, Jake Roos, Alan Michell, Christiaan Basson, Ross Wellington, Adilson da Silva (BRA), Keith Horne, Bradford Vaughan, Ryan Tipping, Keenan Davidse

73 - Alphuis Kelapile, Jaco Ahlers, Hendrik Buhrmann, David Drysdale (SCO), TC Charamba (ZIM), Henk Alberts, Grant Veenstra, Ricky Lee (ENG), Keenan Paulsen, Prinavin Nelson, Sean Farrell (ZIM), Shaun Norris, David Hewan, James Loughnane (IRL)

74 - Callie Burger, Clifford Ndou, Bobby Lincoln, Johan Etsebeth, Nico van Rensburg, Shika Letoaba, Wayne Bradley, Johary Raveloarison (MAD), Irvin Mazibuko, Steve van Vuuren, Jeremy Kavanagh (ENG), Chris Williams, Justin Walters (ENG), Alex Haindl, Neil Cheetham (ENG)

75 - William Baloyi, Bradley Davison, Peter Kaensche (NOR), Clinton Whitelaw, Darren Holder, Kenneth Dube, William Guy (SCO), Derick Petersen, Andre Bossert (SUI), Jeff Inglis (ENG), Riaan de Bruyn

76 - Adriaan van Pletzen, Roy Mugglestone (ENG), Dean Lambert, Doug McGuigan, Martin Maritz, Bafana Hlophe, Kieran Court, Andre Ferreira, Gerlou Roux, Mohamed Tayob

77 - Thabang Simon, Paul McErlean, Reggie Adams, Joseph Mohulatsi, Gerhard Trytsman, Ruan Botha

78 - Mokgeteng J. Mashego, Tsietsi Chabangu, Steve Basson, Pieter Kruger

81 - Wynand Dingle, Jacques Beukes