After finishing tied for second in last week’s NTT DATA Pro-Am, Max Kennedy has made a solid start at the Jonsson Workwear Open and lies tied for 21st after an opening four-under round of 68.
Playing in the early wave in the last of four co-sanctioned events between the HotelPlanner Tour and Sunshine Tour in South Africa, the Royal Dublin man came roaring from the traps at Durban Country Club, recording three consecutive birdies from the second and added another birdie at the par-5 eighth to make the turn at four-under-par.
After four pars to start the back nine, he moved to -5 with a birdie on the par-5 14th, but his only dropped shot of the day came on the 17th, and he closed out with a par that had him comfortably inside the early top 10 before slipping just outside the top 20 after the afternoon wave.
Gary Hurley was also among the early starters, but, beginning on the 10th, made a sluggish opening with a par-five on the 10th and a bogey-five on the 11th. He regrouped to birdie 14, 15 and 17 to turn at two-under.
Three more birdies followed on three, six and seven, but he failed to take advantage of the par-5 eighth then suffered a demoralising triple-bogey-seven on the ninth, dropping back to -2 and into a tie for 44th.
Conor Purcell covered his opening nine holes in level par after twice finding himself the wrong side of par, but he kept his card clean on the front side, making a birdie on five to reach the clubhouse at one-under and just outside the provisional cut mark in a share of 68th.
Liam Nolan and Liam Grehan both shot level-par 72s and share 86th, and they’ll likely need to shoot rounds in the 60s on Friday if they’re to be around for the weekend.
Spaniard Pablo Ereno leads by one-shot after going low on the opening day. Ereno, whose day included ten birdies, an eagle and two bogeys, signed for a 10-under round of 62, one better than South African Kieron van Wyk.
Ereno, starting on the first, used just 31 strokes on the front nine before putting together a red-hot run around the turn to post a career-best total at a professional event.
“I think that’s my lowest ever round in a tournament, so I’m really happy with how I played,” he said.
“My ball striking was really good which meant I was able to hit several good golf shots. I had some good birdie chances so happy with how I played.”
The 22-year-old pieced together five birdies in a row from the tenth to move clear at the top on a low-scoring opening day on South Africa’s east coast.
After playing the final four holes in level par, Ereno highlighted his pinpoint approach play as he pulled clear at the top.
“My approach play was good through that stretch [from the 10th],” he added.
“I hit the green in two on 10, then hit it really close on 11, to nearly eight feet on the 12th and then hit the par five 14th in two. I found a groove and managed to keep going.
“It’s a tricky golf course. There are a lot of holes where you have to be clever off the tee, rather than just hitting driver all the time.
“The key is to keep it in play and make the most of the birdie chances. There are shorter holes where you can hit a wedge close, so the key is really to find the fairway and rely on good approach shots.”
Ereno is embarking on his first full HotelPlanner Tour season and currently sits 11th on the season-long Road to Mallorca Rankings following a positive start to the campaign.
And the Spaniard, who finished inside the top five at the CIRCA Cape Town Open a fortnight ago, is eager to remain positive over the next 54 holes in Durban.
“It’s been great so far so going to keep the good vibes going for the rest of the week,” he added. “I love it down here and I was really excited to come at the start of the season.”
Australian Austin Bautista sits in third position on -8, while South Africans Luke Brown, Oliver Bekker and Nikhil Rama share fourth place on seven under with Peru’s Julian Perico and Italian Lorenzo Scalise.
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