Fisher leads as erratic Lowry slips six off pace

Ross Fisher sits two shots clear at the top of the leaderboard after an impressive first day at the Nedbank Golf Challenge.

Beginning the 2015 Race to Dubai in style, the 34-year-old Englishman completed a six-under-par 66, dropping just one shot in the first round.

That fine start gives Fisher daylight to South Africa’s George Coetzee, Marcel Siem of Germany and Frenchman Alexander Levy, who all shot 68s, at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.

A further two shots back in joint third are a group of six players, including Scotland’s Ryder Cup winner Stephen Gallacher, a trio of local hopes in Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen and Tim Clark, plus American Brooks Koepka and Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, who hit the first tee shot of the new season.

Shane Lowry is the only Irishman in the field, and he sits in joint 15th place after an erratic round saw him finish on level par.

Lowry began poorly with a double bogey but also claimed four birdies over his round to leave him six shots off the lead.

Fisher though is the man to catch. Fisher said: “One bogey and seven birdies for a round of six under on this golf course – I’ll definitely take that and run.

“I didn’t miss many fairways out there and played exactly how I wanted to.

“I hit one loose shot on the 16th and made bogey, but you can’t be too disappointed with one bad shot in 18 holes.”

The last of Fisher’s five European Tour wins came in South Africa at the Tshwane Open in March, ending a drought lasting almost four years.

Defending Nedbank Golf Challenge champion Thomas Bjorn is last of the 30-strong field after a poor first round of 80 that included two double-bogeys and five bogeys – having started with a birdie.

Luke Donald, meanwhile, is one under while his fellow Englishman Lee Westwood carded a level-par 72.