Modderfontein professional Trevor Fisher Jr grabbed the early clubhouse lead at the SA Open with a six-under 66 here on Thursday but he'll be forgiven for looking over his shoulder.
A shot back lurks tournament favourite Rory McIlroy along with South African Thomas Aiken.
The Northern Irishman and former world No1 birdied holes 14 to 17 to catapult into contention.
Fisher Jr overcame bogey on his opening hole but went on to birdie six times on his front nine.
His scoring was a little more sedate after the turn.
“It was a good round‚” he understated his day's work afterwards.
Fisher Jr didn't take much time off over December and it showed.
“I didn't have a good year last year and I thought I'd do a bit of work.”
He said he hit the ball as well as he has in two years in his practice round on Wednesday.
“The ball sort of went where I wanted it to go.
"In general I was happy with the way I hit it and it can get better.
"I must just trust what I'm doing.
"That is quite a change for me. Old habits die hard.”
He was delighted with his putting‚ claiming the ball dropped when 'it needed to'.
The work done in December helped provide a base.
“I trained in the gym quite hard. I hit balls and tried to play quite a bit.
"It's funny because what I worked on then I'm not doing now.”
By contrast Aiken took a five-week break but has hit the tee box running.
He carded birdies on holes one‚ as well as five to nine.
Play was halted for a minute at 11am in memory of the late former champion Wayne Westner.
The 55-year-old Westner died in Pennington on the KZN south coast last week. - TMG Digital
Fisher Jr grabs early clubhouse lead at the SA Open
Modderfontein professional Trevor Fisher Jr grabbed the early clubhouse lead at the SA Open with a six-under 66 here on Thursday but he'll be forgiven for looking over his shoulder.
A shot back lurks tournament favourite Rory McIlroy along with South African Thomas Aiken.
The Northern Irishman and former world No1 birdied holes 14 to 17 to catapult into contention.
Fisher Jr overcame bogey on his opening hole but went on to birdie six times on his front nine.
His scoring was a little more sedate after the turn.
“It was a good round‚” he understated his day's work afterwards.
Fisher Jr didn't take much time off over December and it showed.
“I didn't have a good year last year and I thought I'd do a bit of work.”
He said he hit the ball as well as he has in two years in his practice round on Wednesday.
“The ball sort of went where I wanted it to go.
"In general I was happy with the way I hit it and it can get better.
"I must just trust what I'm doing.
"That is quite a change for me. Old habits die hard.”
He was delighted with his putting‚ claiming the ball dropped when 'it needed to'.
The work done in December helped provide a base.
“I trained in the gym quite hard. I hit balls and tried to play quite a bit.
"It's funny because what I worked on then I'm not doing now.”
By contrast Aiken took a five-week break but has hit the tee box running.
He carded birdies on holes one‚ as well as five to nine.
Play was halted for a minute at 11am in memory of the late former champion Wayne Westner.
The 55-year-old Westner died in Pennington on the KZN south coast last week. - TMG Digital
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