SOUTH AFRICAN OPEN: FABRIZIO ZANOTTI carded an eight-under-par 64 to lead the South African Open after the first day of competition at the Pearl Valley Golf Estates yesterday.

The 25-year-old Paraguayan, who finished tied for 21st at the world's second oldest Open championship last year, is one shot ahead of Swede Oskar Henningsson. Zanotti's highest position in only his second season on the European Tour was a tie for 12th place at the Italian Open in May, but he showed little sign of his inexperience in Paarl with four birdies on the front nine taking him around in 32 strokes.

He began the back nine with a bogey, but showed increasing maturity by fighting back with five birdies in his next eight holes to end a shot clear of the field.

Eight players are two shots off the pace including Northern Ireland's Gareth Maybin, South African Rory Sabbatini, playing in his first home Open and England's Lee Westwood.

World number 10 Westwood, who played alongside Masters champion Trevor Immelman and last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship winner Richard Sterne said: "I played pretty solidly. I drove the ball lovely and missed just one fairway at the second by about four feet."

Four-time champion Ernie Els and two-time winner Tim Clark were among a group of five players to finish on five under par, with England's Justin Rose and South African Immelman a further two shots back.

Swede Henrik Stenson, the highest ranked player in the 156-man field, ended his day on two under along with home favourite Retief Goosen.

Also on two under is Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Michael Hoey as well as Ireland's Damien McGrane and Gary Murphy was level par 72. Darren Clarke was one of a few big names to suffer. Five bogeys and three birdies saw him finish on two over.