EAST LONDON, January 5, 2012 (AFP) - South African Thomas Aiken made light of a two-week lay-off from the game by returning a nine-under-par 64 Thursday to take the Africa Open first-round lead.
Seeking a second European Tour title after winning the Spanish Open last year, Aiken produced numerous pin-point approach shots to set up a host of birdies in the opening tournament on the 2012 Road to Dubai.
He is one stroke ahead of compatriots Retief Goosen and Jaco Ahlers at the top of a leaderboard dominated by South Africans as Michael du Toit and Dean O'Riley share fourth place on 66 with Welshman Phillip Price.
Defending champion and shock 2010 British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen, whose wife is expecting their second child, had to settle for a 69 at the par-73, 6,190-metre East London Golf Club along the Indian Ocean coast.
George Coetzee, considered a player to watch after a play-off defeat and a number of top-three finishes on the last European Tour, shot a 71 to lie seven strokes behind Aiken.
Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, winner of the second-tier Challenge Tour last season, was among a large group on 69 with compatriot Chris Wood, beaten by Oosthuizen in the play-off that settled the 2011 Africa Open.
No one was more surprised than 28-year-old Johannesburg-born Aiken at his low score after taking a festive-season break following his most successful European Tour campaign that included nine top-10 finishes.
"I was not really expecting to shoot a 64 after two weeks without touching a club. I was among the first three-ball with Retief and (Swede) Peter Hedblom and the scoring conditions were good," he said.
"My round was really enjoyable with good shots and putts. This is not the longest course but it bites if you go wayward. Anything off line is pretty much a reload off the tee.
"There are a lot of risk-and-reward holes -- a couple of driveable par fours and tricky par threes -- and I think that a lot of new courses lack that challenge," added Aiken.
Former Major winner Goosen recovered from a first-hole bogey to claim five consecutive birdies from 11 as he seeks a second Africa Open title having won here three years ago.
"The course is playing as easily as you will see it right now. I have been able to practice since November and I'm feeling very good at the moment," said Goosen.
Leading and selected scores after first round of Africa Open Thursday at par-73, 6,190-metre East London Golf Club (RSA unless noted):
64 - Thomas Aiken
65 - Retief Goosen, Jaco Ahlers
66 - Michael du Toit, Phillip Price (WAL), Dean O'Riley
67 - Danny Willett (ENG), Shaun Norris, Maarten Lafeber (NED), Charles-Edouard Russo (FRA), Richard Bland (ENG), J.J. Senekal
68 - J.G. Claassen, David Howell (ENG), Julien Guerrier (FRA), Agustin Domingo (ESP), Tyrone Ferreira, Tim Sluiter (NED), Jordi Garcia (ESP), Garth Mulroy, Taco Remkes (NED), Frederico Colombo (ITA), Peter Karmis, Craig Lee (SCO)
69 - Allan Versfeld, Chris Wood (ENG), Merrick Bremner, Grant Muller, Wil Besseling (NED), Scott Pinckney (USA), Joshua Cunliffe, Edouard Dubois (FRA), Magnus Carlsson (SWE), Sam Walker (ENG), Alastair Forsyth (SCO), Ruan de Smidt, Adam Gee (ENG), Keith Horne, Theunis Spangenberg, Richard Sterne, Louis Oosthuizen, Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Desvonde Botes, Bryce Easton, Adilson da Silva (BRA), Jake Roos, Julien Quesne (FRA), Simon Thornton (IRL), Tjaart van der Walt
Selected
70 - Steven O'Hara (SCO)
71 - Markus Brier (AUT), George Coetzee
72 - David Drysdale (SCO)