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Warren Abery raced to seven-under and took his share of the first-round lead of the Dimension Data Pro-Am.

Warren Abery raced to seven-under and took his share of the first-round lead of the Dimension Data Pro-Am, which got underway at Fancourt's Outeniqua, Montagu and The Links courses on Thursday.

While all players will tackle a round at each course, followed by the cut and a final round at Montagu, Abery and Oliver Bekker led the first day with 65s shot at Outeniqua and Montagu, respectively.

“I came here this week playing really well,” said Abery, “and I'm hitting my irons really close and putting well, and I think that's the key to these courses.”

The Sunshine Tour stalwart made a bogey at the first with three consecutive birdies from the second to the fourth and reached the turn at three-under after a birdie on the sixth. “I got an unlucky lie on the first hole,” he said, “and I managed to make eight birdies from there. I think the first was the only green I missed.”

He strung a further two birdies together at the 10th and 11th and saw things through in style with late birdies at the 17th and 18th, eventually signing for a seven-under 65 on the par 72 course.

Bekker had a far quieter start and made pars until the ninth, where he exploded into action with an eagle. “Then on nine, I made like a 60-footer from the back edge of the green, and that got me going,” he said.

The momentum carried to the 10th where he made the first birdie of his round. From the 14th he closed like a freight train and made birdie at every hole except the 16th, ending up in tied for the lead.

“After I birdied 10, I started hitting it a little closer, and made two nice putts again, and then on 17 I lipped out for an ace, and on 18, almost made eagle,” he added.

The Links, which the only par-73 of the three courses, was tamed by the calm weather and Neil Schietekat took full advantage of the opportunity. He shot six-under-par 67 to take sole possession of second place on the table.

“The conditions were good. It picked up over about three holes, and I wouldn't say it was easy - I don't think you can ever say that about Links golf - but it was a lot easier than the way we normally play it,” he said.

Last year, Schietekat made it to The Open through International Final Qualifying.

The experience gained from playing the links course at Royal St. George's showed at Fancourt showed when he minimized mistakes and made just one bogey at the 15th.

The performance stood in stark contrast to the 77 he shot at The Links during last year's competition.

“I think that since The Open I haven't played that well, but I have a new spring in my step and I'm playing nicely,” Schietekat said.

Schietekat had a quiet start, but a birdie at the fifth provided the boost he needed.

By the seventh, he was charging and made a further three birdies before the turn.

Further birdies at 13, 14 and 16 secured his round and the 28-year-old finished at six-under par – one stroke off Bekker and Abery.

“I feel good to be one shot behind the lead, but there is still a long way to go,” said Schietekat.

He heads for the Montagu course on Friday, where Bekker stormed through the back stretch in 31 blows to take his share of the lead. – Sapa