Zanotti takes early lead in South Africa

Dec 18, 2008 - 5:43 PM By Thahir Asmal PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WESTERN CAPE, South Africa (Ticker) -- Fabrizio Zanotti carded an 8-under-par 64 to lead the South African Open after Thursday's first round.

The 25-year-old Paraguayan, who finished tied for 21st at the world's second oldest Open championship last year, is one shot ahead of Swede Oskar Henningsson at the Pearl Valley Golf Estates.

Zanotti's highest position in only his second season on the European Tour was a tie for 12th place at the Methorios Capital Italian Open in May, but he showed little sign of his inexperience in Paarl with four birdies on the front nine taking him around in 32 strokes.

He began the back nine with a bogey, but showed increasing maturity by fighting back with five birdies in his next eight holes to end a shot clear of the field.

Eight players are two shots off the pace including South African Rory Sabbatini, playing in his first home Open, and Englishman Lee Westwood.

The others at 6-under par are Keith Horne, Jaco van Zyl, Ake Nilsson, Ross McGowan, Richie Ramsey and Gareth Maybin.

Westwood, who played alongside Masters champion Trevor Immelman and last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Richard Sterne in an afternoon tee-off, was faultless through his first 18 holes and admitted afterwards that he could not have asked for a better start.

"I played pretty solidly and all good pretty much," he said. "I drove the ball lovely and missed just one fairway at the second by about four feet."

Four-time champion Ernie Els and two-time winner Tim Clark were among a group of five players to finish on 5-under, with Englishman Justin Rose and South African Immelman a further two shots back.

Swede Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked player in the 156-man field, ended his day at 2-under along with home favorite Retief Goosen and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy's countryman Darren Clarke was one of few big names to suffer in the opening round. Five bogeys and three birdies saw him finish at 2-over.