Hennie Otto upstaged playing
partner Ernie Els by carding a seven-under-par 65 to lead the
South African Players' Championship after the first round on
Thursday.
Otto led by two shots from fellow South Africans David
Frost, Roger Wessels, Nic Henning and Retief Goosen.
The stockily built Otto fired eight birdies and an
impressive par on the 16th after he missed the fairway left on
the long par-five.
Million Dollar Challenge champion Ernie Els was four under
at the turn but faltered on the back nine to finish with a 68.
Els was fulsome in his praise of 23-year-old Otto. "He
really played excellently. He is going to be a star in the
future," said Els.
"He showed a lot of composure and from the first tee shot he
hit it right in the middle of the fairway."
65 Hennie Otto
67 David Frost, Roger Wessels, Nic Henning, Retief Goosen
68 Grant White (Zimbabwe), Bryan Prytz, Robbie Stewart, Derek
Crawford (Britain), Justin Hobday, Dean van Staden, Wallie
Coetsee, David Faught, Jean Hugo, Ernie Els, Ryan Dreyer,
Tony Johnstone (Zimbabwe), Rudi Sailer (Austria)
69 John Bele, Andrew McLardy, Ulrich van den Berg, Michael
Green, Tim Clark, Callie Swart, Michael Archer (Britain),
Mike Michell
70 Hugh Baiocchi, Andrew McKenna (Britain), Mark Murless, Mark
McNulty (Zimbabwe), Adilson da Silva (Zimbabwe), Darren
Clarke (Britain), Darran Warner, Deane Pappas, Grant Muller,
Colin Sorour, Travis Fraser (Zimbabwe), Warrick Druian,
Trevor Dodds (Namibia), Andre Bossert (Switzerland)
71 Richard Michelmore, Peter Wilson (Britain), Hennie Walters,
De Wet Basson, Vaughn Groenewald, Paul Cunningham, Shane
Pringle (Zimbabwe), James du Plessis, James Loughnane
(Ireland), Chris Davison, Marco Gortana
