Date: December 11, 2008
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Duo share Alfred Dunhill lead

Len Mattiace and Michael Jonzon share the lead on seven-under-par after the opening round at the Alfred Dunhill Championship. The pair shot 65s to lead by one from Lee Westwood, Robert Rock, Rafael Cabrera Bello and Johan Edfors – with three players on five-under and 14, including 2004 champion Charl Schwartzel, three off the pace. Swede Jonzon was especially impressive at the Leopard Creek Golf Club, with two birdies and an eagle in his opening four holes giving him a flying start. Another birdie on the par-four sixth helped him complete the front nine in 30 – the lowest of the day – and he consolidated that performance with a 35 on the back nine to complete a bogey-free round. “I played really, really well – especially my shots into the green where I found my speed and the lines on the greens,” he said. “It was just a day when you play really well. The weather in the afternoon was also nice. The wind died down and made it quite easy.” “It&aposs just sometimes that days like these happen. It&aposs when you don&apost think about it when it does happen.” American Mattiace, who lost a play-off to Mike Weir at the Masters in 2003, added: “I really wanted to get off to a good start today.” “I played in a tournament last week in Buenos Aires in Argentina and I really didn&apost get off to a good start.” “So I wanted to go around and shoot a really low score and I really mapped it out and I stuck pretty well to what I thought I should do.” “I really challenged myself today. I don&apost know how the other scores look. I&aposm sure there are going to be some pretty low ones because of the greens being soft.” Britons Westwood and Rock set the earlier pace as Westwood, the world No.10, looked solid during a round that included six birdies. “I could have got off to a faster start; I missed a couple of good chances at my first two holes – but I drove the ball well,” Westwood said. “Distance control with the irons was good. I rolled quite a few decent putts in, and my short game was good.” “If you played well today on the golf course, you got what you deserved. There were no tricks to it.” Rock has good memories of the tournament, after finishing 14th and 17th in the last two years, and he is hoping to improve even further this time on what he described as &aposone of the best courses in the world&apos. “Any tournament I&aposve played in South Africa over the past few years, I&aposve played all right,” he remembered. “I don&apost really know why that is. But I think it&aposs just early in the calendar, and you&aposre keen to get off to a decent start.” “I think the course here is something that I really like, so I&aposm always a little more excited than normal to come and play. That helps a little bit.” “I&aposve had two top-20 finishes so far here, and to go a little better will be nice. But there&aposs a long way to go yet.” “It&aposs going to be really hot tomorrow and it might be a bit more hard work.”