By SHAMAOMA MUSONDA
NDOLA golfer Dayne Moore on Friday shot a two-over par 74 in the opening round of Bearing Man Group (BMG) Classic tournament at the Glendower Golf Club in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Moore’s 74 was one shot stroke better than compatriot, Madalitso Muthiya, who had a rough start before he steadied his game to finish three-over-par 75.
But exploits of Moore, who was Zambia’s best performer at the Mopani Copper Mines 2014 Zambia Open Golf tournament in Kitwe, could only leave him in mid-table and eight strokes off the lead held by South African, Merrick Bremner on six-under-par 66.
Moore and Muthiya are the only two Zambians who are in the main draw of the R800, 000-rich tournament after the set of Michael Chiluba and Bruce Chanda failed to make it past the qualifying tournament which was held on Tuesday.
As the Zambians hovered around mid-table with the leader board having the pacesetter at six under and the lowest positioned player at 12-over in Coenie Stoop and Chris Swanepoel both of South Africa, the run at the top was exciting the crowds.
According to the Sunshine Tour website, Day-One leader Bremner carded an extraordinary nine-hole stretch where he did not make a single par.
But that nine-hole rollercoaster had fortunes on both sides as he had one bogey and a double bogey but also had birdies and eagles to finish the first day on six-under-par 66.
That gave him a one-stroke edge over Oliver Bekker, with Attie Schwartzel, Darren Fichardt and Jean Hugo a further stroke back on four-under-par 68 after a breezy start at Glendower.