JOHANNESBURG – Golf is never too complicated for Richard Sterne. After another incredible first round, this time to share the lead in the Joburg Open, he described his performance as “Just doing the same thing – sometimes a little better”.
Sterne opened with an eight-under-par 63 a week after his 62 in the first round in Dubai, fuelling the revival of a career that was on hold for two years because of a back injury.
His co-leader Max Kieffer from Germany, however, is simply hoping to get his career off the ground.
Both golfers played the more forgiving par-71 West Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club on Thursday, with Bryce Easton’s seven-under-par 65 – including a hole-in-one – on the tougher par-72 East Course placing him one back.
Defending champion Branden Grace and two-time winner Charl Schwartzel were also on the East Course on day one, but struggled to find the consistency they are striving for. Schwartzel opened with a four-under 68, while Grace finished with a level-par 72.
Sterne carried the momentum of his performance in Dubai, where he finished second, onto a West Course where he opened with three straight birdies. He went on to chip in for an eagle on the ninth and finish only one worse than the lowest first 18-hole score on the West in the history of the tournament.
“You feel you need to put a good score together on the West Course and I did that. Now I’ve got three tough rounds on the East and hopefully I can give myself a chance on Sunday,” he said.
