ANGEL CABRERA got the kind of start most players can only dream about on normally tough coastal courses like the one at the East London GC when he shot a course-record 10-under-par 62 in the opening round of the Africa Open yesterday.

Starting at the 10th on a still, cloudy morning, Cabrera posted nine birdies and an eagle before he dropped a shot on the fifth (his 15th) to grab a one-shot lead over unheralded Canadian Graham De Laet, who also started early.

Of the other early starters, those who made best use of the conditions were Neil Schietekat, Alex Haindl and James Kingston. All shot six-under 66s.

Darren Clarke is another stroke back after a 67, while Michael Hoey is also well in touch after a 68.

Clarke birdied four in a row from the third, and added two more at the 10th and 11th, before dropping his only shot on the 18th, while Hoey fired four birdies in five holes from the 13th on his way to his score.

Later in the day, Retief Goosen played a carefully-compiled bogey-free round made up of six birdies.

But ahead of them were Darren Fichardt and Charl Schwartzel, who overcame a pair of bogeys each to card seven-under 65s and lead the South African challenge.

Cabrera didn’t let the dropped shot upset him: “That was the only shot that I hit badly on the whole course, actually. I just felt good and I was just trying to make another birdie on the last three holes,” he said.

But he is only too aware of the fragility of his lead in the face of the forecast of winds for the rest of the tournament: “I was lucky, playing in the morning,” he said.