JOHANNESBURG, November 17, 2011 (AFP) - Spanish ace Pablo Martin got off to a rocky start Thursday as he chased a historic hat-trick in the Alfred Dunhill Championship on a blistering day at South Africa's Leopard Creek golf course.
South Africa's Jbe Kruger and England's Seve Benson leapt to an early lead at the close of the million-euro championship's first day, each shooting an eight-under-par 64.
They were followed by Jean-Baptiste Gonnet of France, George Murray and Alan McLean of Scotland, and George Coetzee of South Africa at six under par.
Martin, who is looking to become only the fifth player in history to win the same European Tour event three times in a row, finished near the bottom of the pack with a lacklustre nine over par.
The temperature on the course, located in the African bush near the world-famous Kruger National Park, reached a sweltering 41 degrees (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit) -- softening the tarmac to the point that it stuck to players' golf-cart wheels.
"It's so hot that sometimes you have to take a few deep breaths. Everyone out there is affected by the heat," said Benson.
The 25-year-old -- whose father named him for his favourite golfer, the late Severiano Ballesteros -- himself turned up the heat after the turn and made three successive birdies from the 10th to the 12th.
He ended the day with a trio of pars.
"I feel like I read the greens really well, which is what you have to do because there is a bit of grain out there," he said.
Kruger, also 25, started on the back stretch and shot a trio of birdies from the 11th to the 13th.
He shot a bogey at the 16th but eagled the 18th, going on to card four birdies after the turn.
"I think it's always an advantage to begin that way. But I'm a bit used to this type of weather from my last few months in Asia, so it suits me," he said.
The course is the brainchild of South African legend Gary Player and billionaire businessman Johann Rupert.
As golfers tee off, eagles, antelope and buffalo can be seen around the creek, while crocodiles and hippos frolick in the lakes dotting the course.
The championship is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the South African Sunshine Tour.
Leading scores after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Thursday at the par-72, 6,631-metre Leopard Creek Country Club (RSA unless noted):
-8 - Jbe' Kruger, Seve Benson (ENG)
-6 - Jean-Baptiste Gonnet (FRA), George Murray (SCO), Alan McLean (SCO), George Coetzee
-5 - Lee Slattery (ENG), Josh Cunliffe
-4 - Merrick Bremner, Mikko Korhonen (FIN), Jaco Van Zyl
-3 - Linus Gillgren (SWE), Liam Bond (WAL), Tano Goya (ARG), Garth Mulroy, Hennie Otto, Neil Schietekat, Branden Grace, Jean Hugo, Robert Rock (ENG), Andrea Pavan (ITA), Steven Tiley (ENG), Tyrone Mordt, David Hewan
Selected:
+8 - Anthony Michael
+9 - Pablo Martin (ESP)
Note: Dunhill Championship co-sanctioned by European Tour and South African Sunshine Tour