Trio share lead in Knysna

Knysna - Jacques Blaauw, Shaun Norris and Madalitso Muthiya shared the early lead on six-under-par 66 at the Origins of Golf in Knysna on Wednesday.

Blaauw made a single bogey in his round, while co-leaders Norris and Muthiya completed bogey-free rounds.

With some players set to complete their first rounds on Thursday, the lead may be threatened, but Blaauw was hopeful he would still head the leaderboard.

"I hope 66 is pretty tough to catch. I played solidly." Blaauw said on the tournament website.

"I made the one mistake on the par-four seventh which was a stupid three-putt, but I'm happy with the round. I hit it pretty well and made quite a few putts."

With second-place finishes in the Investec Cup, the Investec Royal Swazi Open and the Golden Pilsener Zimbabwe Open to his name this year, Blaauw would be looking for the title breakthrough this time around.

"It's hard work that's starting to pay off now. If you're building towards something, you can feel when it's starting to pay off, and it's nice to have that feedback from all the effort you put in," Blaauw said.

Zambian, Muthiya, joined the lead late in the evening before play was halted for the day.

Scores at the end of play on Wednesday at the Origins of Golf
-6 - Jacques Blaauw (RSA), Shaun Norris (RSA), Madalitso Muthiya (ZAM), Doug McGuigan (RSA) [15]
-5 - Steven Ferreira (RSA), Torben Baumann (GER), Keith Horne (RSA) [15], Jean Hugo (RSA) [15]
-4 - Christiaan Basson (RSA), Heinrich Bruiners (RSA) [15]
-3 - Peter Karmis (RSA), Neil Schietekat (RSA), Louis de Jager (RSA), Danie van Tonder (RSA), Erik van Rooyen (RSA), Haydn Porteous (RSA) [15], Dylan Frittelli (RSA) [15], Michael Hollick (RSA) [15], Dean Burmester (RSA) [15], Eddie Taylor (RSA) [12]
-2 - Desvonde Botes (RSA), Jared Harvey (RSA), Tyrone Mordt (RSA), Warren Abery (RSA) [15]
-1 - Paul de Beer (RSA), Divan van den Heever (RSA), Allan Versfeld (RSA), Vaughn Groenewald (RSA), Lyle Rowe (RSA), Oliver Bekker (RSA), Jake Redman (RSA), Tertius van den Berg (RSA), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Chris Swanepoel (RSA) [15], Jaco Van Zyl (RSA) [15], Michiel Bothma (RSA) [15], Alex Haindl (RSA) [15], Anthony Michael (RSA) [12]
Par - Maritz Wessels (RSA), Andrew Georgiou (RSA), Derik Ferreira (RSA), Matthew Carvell (RSA), Attie Schwartzel (RSA), Justin Harding (RSA), Wallie Coetsee (RSA), PH McIntyre (RSA), Merrick Bremner (RSA), Jean-Paul Strydom (RSA), Derick Petersen (RSA), Lindani Ndwandwe (RSA) [12], Bradford Vaughan (RSA) [12]
+1 - Keenan Davidse (RSA), JJ Senekal (RSA), CJ du Plessis (RSA), Rhys West (RSA), Andrew Curlewis (RSA), Ulrich van den Berg (RSA), Tyrone Ferreira (RSA), Jaco Ahlers (RSA) [15], Mark Williams (ZIM) [12], Mark Murless (RSA) [12]
+2 - Allister de Kock (RSA), Bryce Bibby (RSA), Ruan de Smidt (RSA), Charl Coetzee (RSA), Colin Nel (RSA)
+3 - Steve Surry (ENG)
+4 - Gert Myburgh (RSA), Desne van den Bergh (RSA), Andre Cruse (RSA)
+5 - Brandon Stone (RSA)
RTD - Titch Moore (RSA)