McLean shares lead with Hansen and Siem

Scottish-born Alan McLean carved up a wet and soggy Houghton course with seven birdies for a 65 and a share of a three-way lead at the dunhill Championship in Johannesburg.

McLean, who plays under the Scottish flag but lives in South Africa, showed his knowledge of the local course to shake off the rainy conditions and card an error-free round before the afternoon competitors teed up with ever increasing soggy greens.

The Scot finally earned his European Tour card last year after his fifth attempt at qualifying school, a task made easier by a loan given to him by some friends to ease the £2,500 (€3,600) costs.

But now that he has his card, the 33-year old ensured that he would make the most of it on a course he first started playing in 1995.

Opening with a birdie on the par five third – after he had sent a massive three-wood second shot onto the green – he followed it up with birdies on eight and nine as the rain continued to pour down.

On the 10th hole, McLean chipped in from 12 feet and then added another birdie on the 11th before closing with two consecutive birdies on 17 and 18 for a back-nine 32.

“It was pleasing to birdie the last two, especially after scrambling for a par-five on the 16th with my length from the tee,” said McLean.

“I literally shanked one right out of the bunker and did well to two putt for five.

“I have been hitting the ball well for the past couple of weeks and I just haven’t had the putter going. But today I really made some putts, it was a good solid day.

“Technology is awesome but conditions really helped me a little bit today,” admitted McLean.

“I carry the ball a long way and when the fairways are running, a lot of other people can get up there too.

“But if you carry the ball without a lot of run, it can be a big help. Today I didn’t find much difference from the practice round.”

Alongside him in the lead are Dane Anders Hansen, who last week blew a two-shot lead at the SAA Open in a terrible finish, and German Marcus Siem, who also shot a 65.

“I’m very content,” Hansen said afterwards.

“I’ve played five rounds now this year, and two of them have been without bogeys. I’m enjoying it at the moment.”

Despite his blow-out at the end of last weekend’s tournament at Erinvale, Hansen is still enjoying his golf.

This is just his second tournament since his self-imposed exile after a horrid sequence of results which almost persuaded him to give the game up.

“I am still confident and as you saw today I am still playing very well,” Hansen added.

SAA Open winner Trevor Immelman was one of the players who had to negotiate the tough afternoon conditions of soggy greens but he reached the turn in two under par.

Defending champion Mark Foster also started well, but he had a double bogey six on the fourth to eventually turn at one-under.

England’s Lee Westwood shot a 68 to be three off the pace, while 2002 winner Justin Rose was even par after 12 holes.

German Tobias Dier shot a magnificent hole-in-one on the par-three 12th hole.

Dier, who made the impressive shot with a nine iron, missed the prize-money on offer for such a feat as he did not achieve it at the pre-assigned par-three hole.

Sponsors dunhill, however, have decided to present him with a watch for his effort.