EAMONN DARCY confessed to suffering the worst indignity in his 26 years as a touring professional in the Dimension-Data Pro-Am in Sun City yesterday as the 44-year-old Irishman and the two top attractions, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Price, were at first handed bizarre two-stroke penalties.

All three had innocently taken a buggy ride to the 14th tee (which was their fifth hole) at the Lost City course and then back down the hill on the carts positioned there to ferry them at the very elevated hole. The ambiguous rule- book, though, appeared to state that the journey should only be one-way.

First Darcy took the two-way ride and then Ballesteros and Price followed. All three were approached by a referee, asked about their ride - then given a two- stroke penalty.

For the next nine holes they thought they were two strokes worse. Then out came the tournament director Andy McFee to apologise. He had telephoned England to talk to last year's referee at the Lost City, and found out that players were allowed to go back and forth on the hole in the buggy. The penalty was erased.

That was no help to Ballesteros who plummeted to an ignominious 82 anyway, refusing to blame the rules mix-up for his 10-over-par score. Price and Darcy, though, battled away to get something out of the day. Price finally carded a five-under-par 67 to be one of nine players in second place, two shots behind the surprise leader Ronnie McCann, an American-based South African.

Darcy put in a gallant performance, too, shooting a 70 to be five off the pace, two behind leading Irishman of eight, Paul McGinley, who posted his 68 at the Lost City, where David Higgins returned a 73. Padraig Harrington shot 70 over the more difficult Gary Player course, three ahead of Des Smyth, who is recovering from his weekend food poisoning. John McHenry with 74, Raymond Burns 75 and Darren Clarke 77, also at the Gary Player course, will have to battle to make the cut today.

Darcy should have no such struggle, although he might not be present today if the penalty had stayed. The Druids Glen professional explained: "It was the most humiliating experience I've had in 27 years on tour. Crazy. This guy comes out to me, asks me if I used the buggy going down the hill from the tee, and then gives me a two-shot penalty when I tell him I did. I'd read the rules and it just said we could take the buggy, nothing about not being able to go back with it. I told him I would definitely not be signing for a six. If I did, then there'd be no game for me tomorrow.

McGinley labelled his 68, coming back from a bogey on his first hole, "steady", and he did well to hit back from his last tour score, a 77 in Perth, to again challenge for his second European Tour victory. Harrington had even more of a battle back, losing a ball early on to double-bogey but finding enough birdies (six) to get the better of the difficult Player course over spiked-up afternoon greens.

. Australian Lucas Parsons equalled the course record with a nine under par 64, but still could not quite take the spotlight away from Tiger Woods in the first round of the Australian Masters in Melbourne yesterday. Parsons fired six birdies on the front nine before holing his second shot at the par four 13th for an eagle two.

But Woods, who won the Bangkok Classic in Thailand on Sunday, his fourth tournament victory since turning professional last August, was still the centre of attention. He also enjoyed the long holes at Huntingdale to finish five under par at 68 for a share of fifth place.