Gary Hurley opened with a four-under 68 in his first event for more than eight months to lie just four shots behind leaders Wilco Nienaber and Alexander Levy in the Sunshine Tour’s SDC Open in South Africa.

The West Waterford star (31), who will play the DP  World Tour from the membership extension category this year after taking time out last season, birdied four of his last five holes at the Zebula Country Club to share 16th place.

Scores

Hurley sandwiched a double bogey at the seventh between birdies at the second, sixth and 11th before finishing with birdies at the 15th, 16th and 18th in an event co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour.

Nienaber and Levy shot eight-under 64s to lead by one stroke from England’s Chris Paisley and Tom Shadbolt, Spain’s Angel Ayora, South Africa’s Malcolm Mitchell and Dutchman Lars van Meijel.

Dermot McElroy was tied 45th after a two-under 70 with Ronan Mullarney 71st after he double-bogeyed the 18th and signed for a 71.

At the DP World Tour’s Bahrain Championship presented by Bapco Energies, France’s Tom Vaillant posted a bogey-free eight under par 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach and South African Zander Lombard at Royal Golf Club.

Canada’s Aaron Cockerill, Dane Sebastian Friedrichsen, Spain’s Alejandro del Rey and South African Ockie Strydom share fourth place on six under par, one clear of a group of five on five under par including England’s Marcus Armitage, who recorded his first professional hole-in-one at the par three 12th hole.