Alan McLean heads Scots' Dunhill challenge at Leopard Creek

Published on Thursday 10 December 2009 22:07

ALAN McLean bounced back from his European Tour Qualifying School misery to lead the Scots on day one of the Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek resort in South Africa.

The Clydebank exile, who missed the cut in the six-round qualifying school in Spain last week, reeled off seven birdies in a five-under 67 to share fifth, three shots behind early leader Ulrich Van den Berg, who fired a 64.

Kirkcaldy's Peter Whiteford, back on the main circuit after winning the Challenge Tour's Grand Final in October, opened with a 69 while former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart posted a 70.

Callum Macaulay, who squeezed into the opening event of the 2010 season as a last-minute reserve, had to settle for a one-over 73 and finished alongside Aberdonian Richie Ramsay.

David Drysdale, the top Scot on the Race to Dubai in 2009, slumped to a 77 which included a calamitous triple-bogey eight on the 18th while Glasgow's Andrew McArthur struggled to a 78.

But at the top of leaderboard, South Africa's Van den Berg was busy banishing the memories of a last round meltdown four years ago as he blazed the early trail .

The 34-year-old, ranked 657th in the world, led by four with 12 holes to play in 2005, but then crashed to an inward 44.

He has missed the halfway cut in the event every year since, but a flawless eight under par 64 this time has put him one in front of Swede Pelle Edberg.

Ernie Els, the player who took advantage of Van den Berg's collapse but had his own nightmare on the course two years ago with a closing triple bogey eight when two ahead, birdied the hole on his return and signed for a 68.

Van den Berg, who did not manage a single top 20 finish in 12 starts in Europe last season, came home in a five under 30.

"I've been struggling with my game for at least a year now, and haven't been anywhere near my best," he said on the tournament website.

"I've felt my game has been coming around, but mentally I've just been all over the show.

"I felt very peaceful and relaxed out there. For me it always depends on my putting – if it's good then I feel I can relax."

A week ago Edberg was at the Tour qualifying school in Spain – and failed to win back a card.

He owed his place in the event to his 132nd-placed finish on last season's circuit and birdied five of the last seven holes.

Playing with Els was Edoardo Molinari, the Italian who lifted the World Cup with his brother Francesco two weeks ago and has won four of his last six events.

A win could take him into the world's top 50 and bring with it a place in next April's Masters alongside his brother, and that hope is still alive after a 66 gave him a share of third spot with another South African, Titch Moore.

Not such a good day, though, for the other member of the group, England's John Bickerton.

Shock winner two years ago when Els came to grief on the last, Bickerton could do no better than 81 and is next to last.

Defending champion Richard Sterne returned a level-par 72.

Meanwhile, Korean Min-Kyu Han upstaged a host of home favourites with a nine-under-par 62 in the opening round of the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum to lead by four shots.

Rated a 1000-1 shot coming in, Han exploded out of the blocks with birdies at his first four holes after setting off from the 10th, and further birdies at 16 and 17 took him two clear at minus-six.

"I feel like almost in heaven," Han said after his amazing round. "It's not easy, it is a very good course. "Maybe I'm like Tiger Woods today."

World No14 Geoff Ogilvy could only shoot a one-under 70 to tie for seventeenth.