Neck spasms can’t stop Erik

Antalya – Erik van Rooyen (above) wore a smile as wide as a four-lane highway after he signed for an opening four-under 67 to lead the eight-man South African challenge in the in the $7 million Turkish Airlines Open yesterday.

First off the tee in the sixth Rolex Series event, Van Rooyen was the first player to score a birdie and the first player to post a bogey-free round on day one.

The 28-year-old Johannesburg golfer arrived on a bit of a high after tying for 22nd in his first World Golf Championship. A €75 944 payday in the HSBC Champions in China boosted the European Tour rookie to 34th in the Race to Dubai, but he came crashing off cloud nine when he woke up with painful neck spasms on Tuesday.

“It was really annoying. The timing couldn’t be worse, because this is the business end of the season, but what can you do,” said Van Rooyen. “I had physio, left the clubs in the bag and had more physio on Wednesday, but I didn’t want to chance a practice round.”

Van Rooyen will start the second round three shots behind pacesetter Dunne and two off the pace from Padraig Harrington from Ireland, defending champion Justin Rose from England and Dane Thorbjørn Olesen, the champion in 2016.

Evergreen Darren Fichardt produced a brilliant birdie-birdie finish to finish a further stroke adrift in joint 20th, while George Coetzee – the only other South African to post an under-par score – carded 70 to tie for 33rd.

Thomas Aiken shot 71, while Trevor Immelman and Dean Burmester carded one-over 72s.

Brandon Stone and Richard Sterne both had to fight hard for their 74s. – Own Correspondent