Sweden's Carl Pettersson has taken a two-shot lead over the rest of the field on day one of the Bell's South African Open in Durban. Pettersson, 61st on the Volvo Order of Merit last season in his rookie year, fired a brilliant eight-under-par round of 64 at the Durban Country Club to lead from a group of six players in joint second place. On six-under-par are Scotland's Alastair Forsyth, England's Andrew Butterfield and South Africans Tim Clark, Ashley Roestoff, James Kingston, and Des Terblanche.
Pettersson has already enjoyed a superb start to 2002 by finishing fourth and fifth in Taiwan and Hong Kong in November and December last year, events that count towards the 2002 Order of Merit. "I've had a great start and a win is my only goal this year," admitted the Swede who is based in North Carolina where he attended college. "I want to win and take it from there. It's a long way to go but we'll see what happens. I had four weeks off and didn't play much golf so I was surprised I played so well."
In joint eighth position on five-under-par are Marc Cayeux of Zimbabwe, England's Simon Dyson and European number one and US Open champion Retief Goosen. Of the Irish involved, Michael Hoey is a respectable level par after an opening round 72 but his fellow countryman James Loughnane struggled on the demanding course and finished on 10-over-par after an 82.
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
