Alfred Dunhill Championship: Wil Besseling jumps out to early lead

Dutchman Wil Besseling is the solo leader of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, after posting a seven-under-par opening round in South Africa.

Wil Besseling holds the lead after the first round of the 2020 European Tour season, with the Alfred Dunhill Championship kicking things off just four days after the finale of the 2019 campaign, at the DP World Tour Championship.

The Dutchman, who sits outside the top 300 in the Official World Golf Rankings, carded an opening round of 65, thanks to four birdies and an eagle on the back-nine at Leopard Creek.

Besseling is still on the hunt for his maiden European Tour crown, but after 18 holes in South Africa, he is closely followed by a trio of men, including four-time victor on the Tour, Pablo Larrazabal.

The Spaniard, along with England’s Garrick Porteous and one of the many home players this week, Keith Horne, all shot 66 on the opening day to sit at -6, just a shot back.

Alejandro Canizares sits on his own at -5, and makes it two Spaniards inside the top five after the opening round of the 2020 season.

There is a big group in a tie for sixth place, including a trio of South Africans. Daniel van Tonder, Branden Grace and Thomas Aiken are all at -4, along with England’s Jack Singh Brar, Frenchman Robin Roussel and the Scottish pair of David Drysdale and Grant Forrest.

Jaco van Zyl is among the home favourites at -3, while four-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, Charl Schwartzel, is a further shot back, and five off the lead.

He is in a tie for 20th, alongside fellow South Africans, in Justin Harding and Richard Sterne, with the latter getting himself out of some trouble rather magnificently on the par-3 12th.

Eddie Pepperell is among those at -1, with a total of 39 men under par following the first 18 holes of the week. 23 further players sit at even par, including Lee Slattery, Zander Lombard and Brandon Stone.

However, for the likes of Thomas Bjorn, Ernie Els, Edoardo Molinari, and especially Christiaan Bezuidenhout, is was an opening round to forget at Leopard Creek.

The first three all sit two-over-par, but for the 2019 Andalucia Masters champion Bezuidenhout, it was a day to forget, thanks to a quadruple bogey 9 on the finishing hole, pushing him back to +6 after he posted a 78.

Former champion of this event, Garth Mulroy, also had a poor day one, as he carded a 79 to sit in a tie for 140th, already 14 shots off the leader.

Play will get underway at 06:20 (GMT+2) local time on Friday, with Wil Besseling looking to extend his lead at the top as he searches for his first victory on the Tour. The Dutchman tees off at 08:10 local time, and will have the chance to post a low total for the rest to chase.

Alfred Dunhill Championship 2019 Leaderboard:

1 (-7): Wil Besseling (NED)

T2 (-6): Garrick Porteous (ENG), Pablo Larrazabal (ESP), Keith Horne (RSA)

5 (-5): Alejandro Canizares (ESP)

T6 (-4): Daniel van Tonder, Branden Grace, Thomas Aiken (all RSA) Jack Singh Brar (ENG), David Drysdale (SCO), Robin Roussel (FRA), Grant Forrest (SCO)

Selected Others:

T13 (-3): Jaco van Zyl (RSA), Adrian Otaegui (ESP), Matthew Jordan (ENG)

T20 (-2): Charl Schwartzel, Richard Sterne, Justin Harding (all RSA)

T28 (-1): Adrien Saddier (FRA), Eddie Pepperell (ENG)

T40 (E): Lee Slattery (ENG), Clement Sordet (FRA), Zander Lombard (RSA), Brandon Stone (RSA)

T63 (+1): Oliver Fisher (ENG), Benjamin Poke (DEN), George Coetzee (RSA)

T77 (+2): Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Ross Fisher (ENG), Ernie Els (RSA), Edoardo Molinari (ITA)

T94 (+3): Darren Fichardt (RSA), Jeff Winther (DEN), Marcel Siem (GER)

T128 (+6): Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP)