Mallow’s James Sugrue. Picture © USGA/Chris Keane

Mallow's James Sugrue got 2020 off to an excellent start when he fired a three-under 69 to lead the Irish challenge after the opening round of the African Amateur Strokeplay at Leopard Creek.

The reigning Amateur champion is tied for fourth, five shots behind South Africa's Ryan van Velzen (18), who shot an incredible, eight-under-par 64 to lead by three shots from compatriot Christo Lambrecht, the 2018 East of Ireland champion.

Malone's Matthew McClean is joint 12th after a level-par 72 with Caolan Rafferty joint 23rd after carding a 74 on a mixed day for the eight-strong GUI contingent.

Starting at the 10th, world No 27 Sugrue birdied the 13th and followed a bogey at the next with birdies at the 17th and 18th to turn in two-under.

He then eagled the par-five second to get to four-under but dropped a shot at the eighth in an excellent opening effort that can only give him confidence ahead of a season that will see him tee it up in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National and the US Open at Winged Foot.

McClean made three birdies and three bogeys in his solid, level par 72 while Dundalk star Rafferty, who at 23rd in the world is the highest-ranked Irish player in the field, made two birdies and two bogeys before dropping shots at the 16th and 17th in a two-over-par 74.

Despite starting with a double-bogey seven, Holywood teenager, Tom McKibbin carded a three-over 75 to end the day tied for 30th with Massereene's Tiarnan McLarnon.

But it was a more trying day for the rest of the men in green with Hermitage's Rowan Lester joint 60th after a 79, Carton House's Keith Egan 68th after an 81 and Naas' Robert Brazill 78th in the 84-man field after closing with a nine at the treacherous, "island green", par-five 18th for an 84.

GolfRSA National Squad member Ryan van Velzen from Benoni Country Club fired a pace-setting eight-under-par 64 to take a three-shot lead in the first round of the Africa Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club. Picture: Ernest… — GolfRSA National Squad member Ryan van Velzen from Benoni Country Club fired a pace-setting eight-under-par 64 to take a three-shot lead in the first round of the Africa Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Leopard Creek Country Club. Picture: Ernest Blignault

Leader Van Velzen made a difficult test look easy.

Starting at the 10th, he birdied his first two holes and made two more on the 13th and 14th, before rounding out a dream opening nine with an eagle at the 18th.

"The eagle was quite cool because my playing partner hit it to a foot, and I boxed a 20-footer for eagle straight after him," he told GolfRSA.

"It's quite a short par-five, but you have to hit it in the fairway, or else you can't go for it. I was lucky enough to hit in the fairway."

Although he bogeyed his next hole, the 18-year-old Benoni Country Club member came back immediately with a birdie on the second before further birdies at the sixth and eighth saw him home three shots clear of fellow GolfRSA National Squad member Lamprecht.

Sweden's Algot Kleen—the man who hit it to within a foot on 18 when playing with Van Velzen—also eagled the par last on his way to five-under-par 67 and second place Sugrue and South Africa's Jordan Duminy share fourth after their 69s as Gustav Andersson of Sweden, South Africa's Martin Vorster and the English duo of Robin Williams and Haider Hussain shot 70.

"I'm really happy with my round," said Van Velzen. "I hit it really well all day and I putted well. I made lots of putts, especially in the beginning of the round.

"The key to this course is keeping it on the short stuff. You can't really spin it out of the rough, but if you're in the fairway, you can go at some flags.

"I didn't play too well in the practice round, but I found something out there today, so I hope I can keep it going tomorrow."

Lamprecht – fourth in 2017 and the runner-up in 2018 – made his lone bogey on the short par-four fourth in his 67.

Three birdies came on the back nine after he also started on the 10th, and three more on two, six and eight completed his scoring.

Thanks to Van Velzen's stunning 64, Team South Africa Juniors share the first-round lead with Sweden 1 in the 54-hole Team Competition.

With three of four scores to county, Van Velzen, Duminy and Christiaan Maas (77) combined for a total of six-under 210, which was matched by Kleen, Gustav Andersson (70) and Adam Wallin (72) for Team Sweden.

Team South Africa's Vorster, Casey Jarvis (72) and Kyle de Beer (74) sit in third on 2016, two shots ahead of Ireland 1, for whom Sugrue, Rafferty and McKibbin had the three counting scores.

Defending champions Team England are three shots further back in fifth while Ireland 2 are ninth thanks to the efforts of McClean, McLarnon and Egan.

African Amateur Strokeplay, Leopard Creek (Par 72)

Detailed scores / Course planner

Round One (RSA unless stated)

64 Ryan van Velzen

67 Christo Lamprecht Jnr

68 Algot Kleen (Swe)

69 James Sugrue (Irl), Jordan Duminy

70 Gustav Andersson (Swe), Martin Vorster, Robin Williams (Eng), Haider Hussain (Eng)

71 Liam van Deventer, Rigardt Albertse

72 Adam Wallin (Swe), Matthew McClean (Irl), Gregory McKay, Casey Jarvis, Yurav Premlall

73 Nikhil Gopal, Altin van der Merwe, Theo Boulet (Fra), Connor Wilson (Sco), Nikhil Rama, Aurelien Douce (Fra)

74 Kyle de Beer, Lewis Irvine (Sco), Jay Pandya (Ind), Joseph Long GBR, Caolan Rafferty (Irl), Pierre Pellegrin, Siyanda Mwandla

75 Drikus Joubert, Hugo Archer (Fra), Therion Nel, Tom McKibbin (Irl), Oliver Goldhill, Nicolas Muller (Fra), James Biggs (Eng), Luca Filippi, Tiarnan McLarnon (Irl), Peter Handcock (Eng), Tom Vaillant (Fra), Aneurin Gounden, Jake Bolton (Eng), Armand van Dyk, Martin Couvra (Fra)

76 Samuel Simpson, Olly Huggins (Eng), Elliot Anger (Fra), Stuart Easton (Sco), Andrew Williamson

77 James Wilson (Sco), Darren Howie (Sco), Rasmus Jonasson (Swe), Joe Harvey (Eng), Christiaan Maas, Lucas Abrial (Fra)

78 Tyran Snyders, Stephen Roger (Sco), Ayden Senger, Keagan Thomas

79 Hugo Thyr (Swe), Rakesh Channoo (MRI), Rowan Leister (Irl), Sam Bairstow (Eng), Jordan Burnand

80 Florent Toulet, Wilmer Edero (Swe), Francois van der Walt

81 Daniel Nduva, Morton Kombai, Keith Egan (Irl)

82 Oswin Schlenkrich, Christiaan Burke, Luhan Bester, Mandla Dlamini

83 Rohan Dholepatil (Ind), Rasheed Mohamed (Zim), Oliver Brown

84 Gregg Gilson, Anirudh Kamireddypalli (Ind), Robert Brazill (Irl)

85 Promise Sombrero (Zim)

87 Graeme Derek Lewis

90 Dil Thomas

WD Monty Scowsill (Eng)

Team

(Format: Best scores 3 out of 4)

210 Team South Africa Juniors - Ryan van Velzen 64 Jordan Duminy 69 Christiaan Maas 77

210 Team Sweden 1 - Algot Kleen 68 Gustav Andersson 70 Adam Wallin 72

216 Team South Africa - Martin Vorster 70 Casey Jarvis 72 Kyle de Beer 74

218 Team Ireland 1 - James Sugrue 69 Caolan Rafferty 74 Tom McKibbin 75

219 Team England - Robin Williams 70 Joseph Long 74 Jake Bolton 75

224 Team France 2 - Theo Boulet 73 Martin Couvra 75 Elliot Anger 76

225 Team France 1 - Hugo Archer 75 Nicolas Muller 75 Tom Vaillant 75

227 Team Scotland - Lewis Irvine 74 Stuart Easton 76 James Wilson 77

228 Team Ireland 2 - Matthew McClean 72 Tiarnan McLarnon 75 Keith Egan 81

233 Team Mauritius - Pierre Pellegrin 74 Rakesh Channoo 79 Florent Toulet 80

236 Team Sweden 2 - Rasmus Jonasson 77 Hugo Thyr 79 Wilmer Edero 80

241 Team India - Jay Pandya 74 Rohan Dholepatil 83 Anirudh Kamireddypalli 84

249 Team Zimbabwe - Morton Kombai 81 Rasheed Mohamed 83 Promise Sombrero 85