Schwartzel shares lead in pursuit of fifth Dunhill title

Home hero Charl Schwartzel fired a 66 to grab a share of the first-round lead as he launched his bid for a fifth Alfred Dunhill Championship title on Thursday. The former US Masters champion picked up only one birdie on the outward nine at the par-72 Leopard Creek Country Club, which borders the Kruger Park game reserve in northeastern South Africa. The inward nine proved much more profitable for the 32-year-old winner of 11 European Tour events as he bagged five more birdies without dropping a shot in perfect early southern hemisphere summer conditions. Should Schwartzel top the leaderboard in one of two 2017 European Tour-opening tournaments this week, he will join an exclusive group of golfers who have won the same tournament on the circuit five or more times. The Alfred Dunhill defending champion is hoping to emulate Americans Tom Watson and Tiger Woods and German Bernhard Langer. Co-leader Paul Dunne, a 24-year-old Irishman ranked 307 in the world after turning professional last year, collected eight birdies during a round spoilt by a double-bogey six at the ninth. His blemish came after four outward-nine birdies and he recovered from his slip to card four more birdies on the inward journey. Four of the six golfers one stroke behind the leaders on 67 scored an eagle over the 6,063-metre layout. Scott Jamieson of Scotland had a three at the second during an erratic round that included seven birdies and four bogeys. Pablo Larrazabal of Spain had a two at the sixth, Brandon Stone of South Africa a three at 13 and Max Orrin of England a three at 15. Alexander Bjork of Sweden and Jean Hugo of South Africa are the other golfers hot on the heels of the joint leaders. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland, captain of the 2016 Ryder Cup Europe team, returned a six-over 78, including a quadruple-bogey nine at the final hole.