Mackenzie makes sensational start

England’s Malcolm Mackenzie made a sensational start to the SAA Open to stand just three shots off the pace after completing his opening round at the Royal Durban Country Club today.

The journeyman pro from Barrow-upon-Soar, starting his 25th year on the European Tour, found the early start much to his liking as he overcame an early bogey on the 11th – his second hole – to fire three birdies on 12, 14 and 16 to turn in 34.

He reproduced the feat on his inward nine with birdies on the third, sixth and eighth – a bogey on the par-four fifth his only blemish – to get off to a great start in the €720,600 event.

Mackenzie’s four-under-par 68 was dwarfed by the performance of local player Titch Moore who, starting at the 10th, completed the back nine in 31, which included three birdies and an eagle at the 527-yard 14th.

He then added three further birdies and only one bogey to finish seven under.

Alongside Sheffield-born Mackenzie, who is playing on a medical exemption after undergoing shoulder surgery at the end of 2003, on four under was another South African Tim Clark, who won the tournament when it was last hosted on this course in 2002 while a group of eight players followed close behind.

It was a very different day, however, for Ryder Cup star Darren Clarke.

The Irishman stirred the leaderboard early by following a bogey on the 10th - his first hole – with three birdies to turn at two under but then found the going a lot tougher when he moved to the front nine.

After dropping a shot on the first, Clarke scrambled three pars before finding the narrow fairways tough to negotiate and dropped another shot on the par-four fifth and seventh before pulling one back on the 501-yard eighth.