JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — Dan Bradbury equaled the course record with an 8-under 63 Thursday despite a bogey on his last hole to hold the clubhouse lead in the first round of the Joburg Open, which was suspended overnight because of thunder storms.
The Englishman started on the back nine and mixed seven birdies and two eagles with a double bogey on the 15th and his lone bogey on No. 9, which denied him the outright course record. He was one shot ahead of Nick Bachem of Germany, with Romain Langasque of France another stroke back.
“It was pretty good to be fair, I can’t really complain with a 63 can I?" Bradbury said. “I got a little bit of momentum going early on the back nine, then the (first) thunderstorm obviously stopped that."
Play was interrupted by the storms during the afternoon and then halted for the day with close to half the field yet to finish the round.
Clement Berardo of France was at 6 under after just 11 holes, having made four straight birdies when play was stopped.
The Joburg Open is the first tournament of the European tour's 2023 season, with two more events held in South Africa in December.
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