Golf

Tom McKibbin three shots off the lead after opening round of Alfred Dunhill Championship

Holywood golfer hits five birdies and one bogey to sit in a tie for eighth heading into day two

Tom McKibbin is three shots off the lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Photograph: Luke Walker/Getty Images
Tom McKibbin is three shots off the lead at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. Photograph: Luke Walker/Getty Images
Thu Dec 08 2022 - 18:35

Tom McKibbin shot an opening 68 to sit three shots off the lead after day one of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The 19-year-old from Holywood hit five birdies in all, including consecutive strokes gained at holes one and two, to sit in a tie for eighth place at Leopard Creek.

Further shots were picked up nine, 15 and 17 with the sole blemish a bogey on the eighth.

John Murphy is on three over after an opening round of 75.

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South Africa’s Dean Burmester took inspiration from an on-course interview to claim the lead.

Burmester was just one under par midway through his opening round at Leopard Creek, but birdied six holes in a back nine of 31 to card a seven-under-par 65 and lead by one from Austria’s Lukas Nemecz.

The world number 58 set up the Birdies 4 Rhinos charity with fellow professional Justin Walters and was asked about the initiative by Sky Sports reporter Inci Mehmet during the round.

“I think you were the difference weren’t you?” Burmester told Mehmet after signing his card.

“One on-course chat saying I needed to make more birdies for rhinos and boom, that’s exactly what happened. What a back nine, some of the best I’ve played in a little while so I’m happy to do that.

“The wind was very tricky. We had up to three clubs [difference] at times and then we had nothing.

“It was moving around as well; the 15th hole tee shot was downwind, then my ball got mid-flight and went into the wind. The third shot was all over the place and then we got to 16 and there was no wind.

“But we managed to deal with it and all three guys in our group didn’t do a bad job considering.”

Playing partners Sean Crocker and Charl Schwartzel both finished two over par, although Schwartzel’s 74 included a two-shot penalty and quadruple-bogey nine on the 18th.

The former Masters champion wrote on Twitter: “Took a wrong drop on 18 today @LeopardCreekCC was a honest mistake, head was a bit clouded and didn’t think it thru.

“Only realised when I got home. Lucky for me rules are a bit softer, it used to be DQ but instead I got a 2 shot penalty. Starting tomorrow +2.”

England’s Laurie Canter and Scotland’s Scott Jamieson all shot 68 to lie three shots off the lead next to McKibbin.

Scores from the European Tour Alfred Dunhill Championship on Thursday

-7 Dean Burmester (South Africa) 65

-6 Lukas Nemecz (Austria) 66 -5 Jaco Ahlers (South Africa) 67 Darren Fichardt (South Africa) 67 Deon Germishuys (South Africa) 67 Branden Grace (South Africa) 67 David Ravetto (France) 67

-4 Louis Albertse (South Africa) 68 Laurie Canter (England) 68 Tobias Eden (Sweden) 68 Scott Jamieson (Scotland) 68 Kristian K Johannessen (Norway) 68 Alexander Knappe (Germany) 68 Tom McKibbin (Northern Ireland) 68 Wilco Nienaber (South Africa) 68 Ockie Strydom (South Africa) 68

-3 Oliver Bekker (South Africa) 69 Jorge Campillo (Spain) 69 Alejandro Cañizares (Spain) 69 Todd Clements (England) 69 Matthys Daffue (South Africa) 69 Bryce Easton (South Africa) 69 Thriston Lawrence (South Africa) 69 Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 69 Eddie Pepperell (England) 69 Jayden Schaper (South Africa) 69 Santiago Tarrio ben (Spain) 69 Erik Van Rooyen (South Africa) 69 Dale Whitnell (England) 69 Ashun Wu (China PR) 69

-2 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (South Africa) 70 Aaron Cockerill (Canada) 70 Wynand Dingle (South Africa) 70 Ernie Els (South Africa) 70 Jens Fahrbring (Sweden) 70 Dylan Frittelli (South Africa) 70 James Hart du Preez (South Africa) 70 Jean Hugo (South Africa) 70 Luke Jerling (South Africa) 70 Nathan Kimsey (England) 70 Dylan Mostert (South Africa) 70 Niklas Norgaard Moller (Denmark) 70 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 70 Adrian Otaegui (Spain) 70 Jaco Prinsloo (South Africa) 70 Jovan Rebula (South Africa) 70 Neil Schietekat (South Africa) 70 Jj Senekal (South Africa) 70 Keagan Thomas (South Africa) 70 Scott Vincent (Zimbabwe) 70

-1 Wil Besseling (Netherlands) 71 Adam Breen (South Africa) 71 Daniel Brown (England) 71 Ross Fisher (England) 71 Angel Hidalgo (Spain) 71 Ryo Hisatsune (Japan) 71 Gudmundur Kristjansson (Iceland) 71 Jbe Kruger (South Africa) 71 Joshua Lee (USA) 71 Christiaan Maas (South Africa) 71 Shaun Norris (South Africa) 71 Antoine Rozner (France) 71 Marcel Siem (Germany) 71 Matthew Southgate (England) 71 Richard Sterne (South Africa) 71 Darius Van Driel (Netherlands) 71

0 Nick Bachem (Germany) 72 Matthew Baldwin (England) 72 Kyle de Beer (South Africa) 72 Jens Dantorp (Sweden) 72 CJ Du Plessis (South Africa) 72 Grant Forrest (Scotland) 72 Mateusz Gradecki (Poland) 72 Jeong weon Ko (France) 72 Anthony Michael (South Africa) 72 JC Ritchie (South Africa) 72 Lyle Rowe (South Africa) 72 Martin Leth Simonsen (Denmark) 72 Combrinck Smit (South Africa) 72 Clément Sordet (France) 72 Rourke Van Der Spuy (South Africa) 72 Danie Van Tonder (South Africa) 72 Justin Walters (South Africa) 72 Gunner Wiebe (USA) 72 Hennie du Plessis (South Africa) 72

1 Jacques Blaauw (South Africa) 73 George Coetzee (South Africa) 73 Philip Eriksson (Sweden) 73 Joachim B. Hansen (Denmark) 73 Jacquin Hess (South Africa) 73 Gary Hurley (Republic of Ireland) 73 Sam Hutsby (England) 73 Rupert Kaminski (South Africa) 73 Herman Loubser (South Africa) 73 Makhetha Mazibuko (South Africa) 73 Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 73 James Morrison (England) 73 Aldrich Potgieter (South Africa) 73 Nikhil Rama (South Africa) 73 Robin Sciot-Siegrist (France) 73 Matthew Spacey (South Africa) 73 Tristen Strydom (South Africa) 73

2 Dan Bradbury (England) 74 Estiaan Conradie (South Africa) 74 Sean Crocker (USA) 74 Keenan Davidse (South Africa) 74 Alejandro Del Rey (Spain) 74 Stephen Ferreira (Portugal) 74 Pedro Figueiredo (Portugal) 74 Chase Hanna (USA) 74 Jake Redman (South Africa) 74 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 74 Toto Thimba JNR (South Africa) 74 Sami Valimaki (Finland) 74

3 John Axelsen (Denmark) 75 Christoffer Bring (Denmark) 75 Louis De Jager (South Africa) 75 Jeremy Freiburghaus (Switzerland) 75 John Murphy (Republic of Ireland) 75 Dylon Naidoo (South Africa) 75 Michael G Palmer (South Africa) 75 Yurav Premlall (South Africa) 75 Martin Rohwer (South Africa) 75 Divan Van Den Heever (South Africa) 75 MJ Viljoen (South Africa) 75

4 Gerard Du Plooy (South Africa) 76 Keith Horne (South Africa) 76 Mikael Lindberg (Sweden) 76 Zander Lombard (South Africa) 76 Pieter Moolman (South Africa) 76 Matthieu Pavon (France) 76 Gary Stal (France) 76 Jean-Paul Strydom (South Africa) 76

5 Simon Forsstrom (Sweden) 77 Joël Stalter (France) 77 Brandon Stone (South Africa) 77 6 Merrick Bremner (South Africa) 78 Thabang Simon (South Africa) 78 Albert Venter (South Africa) 78 Marc Warren (Scotland) 78

7 Marcus Armitage (England) 79 Brooklin Bailey (USA) 79 Ruan Conradie (South Africa) 79 Casey Jarvis (South Africa) 79 Anton Karlsson (Sweden) 79 Ruan Korb (South Africa) 79 Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa) 79

8 Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 80

9 Daan Huizing (Netherlands) 81

10 Luke Brown (South Africa) 82 Freddy Schott (Germany) 82

11 Henning du Plooy (South Africa) 83

12 Jastice Mashego (South Africa) 84

13 Alex Haindl (South Africa) 85

16 Harvey Young (Australia) 88