Henrik Stenson surged five strokes clear of the field with a course record-tying 63 in the Sun City Challenge first round on Thursday.
The big-hitting Swede blended accurate tee shots with precision putting at the Gary Player Country Club to fire his nine-under-par score and equal the record set by Ernie Els in the final round of the 2002 event.
South African Rory Sabbatini was second on 68, with Briton Lee Westwood third on 70.
Stenson, who won last week's World Cup for Sweden alongside Robert Karlsson, reeled off three successive birdies at the start before making amends for a bogey four at the seventh with back-to-back birdies at eight and nine.
After another birdie at the 10th, the Ryder Cup player went birdie-eagle-birdie from the 13th before finishing with three par figures.
Karlsson, making his debut in the invitational 12-man tournament, was joint fourth on level-par 72 with Briton Luke Donald, South Africa's James Kingston, KJ Choi of South Korea, world number two Sergio Garcia, and holder Trevor Immelman.
American Kenny Perry and Briton Justin Rose carded 73s and Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez was last on 75.
