sooner than the 2013 PGA European Tour season had ended in the Dubai desert just over a week ago, next year’s circuit teed off in South Africa.
The Algarve’s Ricardo Santos made a great start to the Alfred Dunhill Championship in occupying joint second place following an opening round of 66 on the Leopard Creek Country Club course. Unfortunately, the 31-year-old subsequently blotted his copy book with a bogey-riddled 74 from which he managed to make a partial recovery, carding two par-72 scores to finish tied for 16th place.
Fellow Portuguese and 2014 European Tour newcomer Filipe Lima missed the cut on his return to the top tier and could only watch from the sidelines as local hero Charl Schwartzel repeated his 2012 triumph here, coming home four shots clear of England’s Richard Finch.
The two players returned to action yesterday (Thursday) as the Race to Dubai 2014 continues with Sun City’s Nedbank Golf Challenge.
