Dunhill ChampionshipWorld number three Ernie Els moved effortlessly through the Leopard Creek course yesterday morning to be one shot off the pace after the first round of the Dunhill Championship in Malelane, South Africa.

But his quest to add another title to his lengthy list of honours will be tested by a number of young rivals who are all gunning for the honour of beating one of the world's best.

Zimbabwean rookie Bruce McDonald stole the lead from Els late in the morning to post a six-under-par 66.

McDonald, whose claim to fame is a couple of tournaments on the Hooters Tour in America, made the most of his first start in a European Tour event to take the slender lead into today's second round.

And while most of the attention will be focused on the big South African this week, one of his former pupils from the Ernie Els foundation, James Kamte, also made an impression to post a four-under-par 68 and be one shot behind his master.

The Irish challenge was less distinguished. Damien McGrane was best after a two-over-par 74, Peter Lawrie was a shot back on 75 and Stephen Browne shot a 76. All three have their work cut out to make the cut.

British hopes will be focused on Neil Cheetham, a 37-year-old who continued the momentum he had two weeks ago at the Tour qualifying school to be two off the pace after the first round.

Cheetham, who eagled the last hole at the school to win back the Tour card he lost in 2001, had played down his chances this week. The last time he was just off the lead in a tournament was in Morocco in 2001, just after he had battled through the qualifying school to win his card for the first time.

Now a bit wiser than his first turn on the Tour, Cheetham has fought his way from being a club pro at Dore and Totley in Sheffield to the bushveld of Malelane - and it is not something that he wants to give up easily.

"I want to go and enjoy it," he said. "In 2001 I got caught up in the sundry things that happen on tour. This year, when I got back on tour, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't make the same mistake as last time.

"I just want to go out and do what I did today. Ernie is obviously at the top of the leaderboard and I expect him to be there all week.

"I just want to have fun the rest of the week and do as well as we can."

But Cheetham acknowledged he could well be his own worst enemy if he thinks too far ahead.

"I think it is a natural tendency for someone like me is to think ahead, but I suppose I've played 55 European Tour events," he said. "I've been on leaderboards before, so I do have a bit of experience here.

"In fact, the joke in my family is that the fastest thing on the Tour is my name off a leaderboard! So I'm just hoping for the best."

Also in the running are two Frenchmen - Benoit Teilleria and Raphael Eyraud - who are also on four under.

Leading First Round Scores

(Brit unless stated, par 72)

66 - B McDonald (Zim).

67 - E Els (Rsa).

68 - B Teilleria (Fra), N Cheetham,

R Eyraud (Fra), J Kamte (Rsa).

69 - M Quiros (Spa), S Son-Houi (Fra), D Terblanche (Rsa), W Abery (Rsa),

O Wilson, P Gustafsson (Swe).

70 - D Fichardt (Rsa), L Ndwandwe (Rsa), M Davis, D McGuigan, L Westerberg (Swe), J Edfors (Swe),

M Gronberg (Swe), D Frost, A Cruse,

I Steel (Mal).

71 - M Kirk (USA), N Le Grange (Rsa),

C Swart (Rsa), I Garbutt, A Tadini (Ita),

C Schwartzel (Rsa), E Little, D Botes (Rsa), K Horne (Rsa), B Lincoln (Rsa),

J Backstrom (Rsa).

Irish: 74 - Damien McGrane.

75 - Peter Lawrie.

76 - Stephen Browne.