JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A late charge gave England’s Matthew Nixon an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead after the first round of the South African Open, the start of the 2014 European Tour season.
Two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen and former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel also were in early contention.
Nixon was one of the last players to finish Thursday, but ended with birdie, eagle, par to knock Italy’s Marco Crespi and South Africa’s Jbe Kruger off the top of the leaderboard at Glendower Golf Club.
Goosen began with a 66 to tie for third, while Schwartzel shot 67.
The new season teed off in Johannesburg just four days after Henrik Stenson won the 2013 money list and season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai.
