South African Brandon Stone posted an opening 67 to set the early clubhouse target on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
Stone, who won his maiden European Tour event at last season's BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni, carded an eagle, four birdies and a solitary bogey on Thursday to get to five under as the 2017 Race to Dubai got under way.
The 23 year old was a single stroke ahead of a large chasing pack which contained countrymen Colin Nel, Dylan Frittelli, Jaco Ahlers, Richard Sterne and Justin Harding, as well as England's Jamie Rutherford and Frenchman Adrien Saddier.
Starting his first round at the tenth tee, home hope Stone reached the turn in 33 after firing an eagle and two birdies on his front nine.
Another birdie at the second took Stone to five under, but he dropped his first shot of the day at the par-four fourth.
Stone made a gain at the sixth to return to five under before effortlessly rolling in his tricky par putt at the seventh to stay there.
And after safely parring the eighth and ninth, Stone found himself at the top of the leaderboard when Challenge Tour graduate Frittelli carded a double bogey at his penultimate hole to slip back to four under.
Stone was pleased with his putting on day one. He said: "I missed a few but you can’t have them all in the first day.
"But yeah, I putted superbly well. I holed some incredible putts today.
"I think the guys this morning, for the first nine holes, really had perfect scoring conditions and I was very fortunate that I got to start on the back nine where you could pretty much get a score going.
I putted superbly well. I holed some incredible putts today - Brandon Stone
"For my first six holes, I was four under par, so it was really strong building blocks.
"I could get through into that front nine - which was my back nine - because I really struggle to score on that nine.
"It’s got nine good holes that are not simple birdies, so I think from a conditions stand-point I really got the best of it."
Scotland's Scott Jamieson made a fast start at Leopard Creek Country Club, notching an eagle and two birdies in his opening three holes to get to four under.
