The first round of the 2025 Vodacom Origins of Golf Series got underway on Friday with two Irishmen representing in the field at Parys Golf & Country Estate.
29-year-old Liam Grehan pieced together a solid round one, carding a one-under par 71 to see him finish the day in a five-way tie for 21st.
Grehan, who began well with a birdie on the par-4 second was strong in his approach play, hitting 15/18 greens in regulation but will be disappointed with a few costly errors.
A bogey on the par-4 sixth hole, followed by a double bogey on the par-3 eighth could have spiraled into a round he’d love to forget but the Mullingar native responded well with two birdies.
Possibly showing signs of jetlag after only arriving in South Africa a few days ago after a T43 finish at the Irish Challenge last week, another wobble came for Grehan after two bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes but again the Sunshine Tour rookie kept his composure to close out his round one with three birdies.
Looking to back up his T14 finish on the Sunshine Tour last week is 29-year-old Rowan Lester, but first round struggles see him in a tough battle to contend.
Two bogeys in the first three holes was a less than ideal start for the Dubliner but Lester fought back with a birdie on the fourth hole.
Two more bogeys followed as Lester began to lose his momentum but a tidy birdie putt on the par-5 ninth gave him a chance of an under-par round. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case as Lester added another bogey, ending his round one at three-over-par and in T76.
After round one, South Africa’s Herman Loubser is the man to beat with a score of five-under-par followed by Zimbabwean Robson Chinhoi who sits just one behind.
Round two is set to take place on Saturday at 5:50am Irish time.
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