Mixed start for German players at the Nedbank Golf Challenge as Kristoffer Reitan takes a three-shot lead after round one.
The DP World Tour teed off at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City, South Africa, with a reduced field and a wide spread of scores on day one. Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan surged to the top with a stunning -9 round, while German players struggled on the front nine.
Challenging start for Siem and Von Dellingshausen
Veteran Marcel Siem opened with a birdie on hole 10 but failed to build momentum, carding three bogeys on the front nine to finish at +3. Nicolai von Dellingshausen, coming off strong recent performances, also ended at +3. Despite five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey offset his gains. Both players lost most strokes on the front nine despite promising starts from the 10th tee.
They currently sit tied for 54th, five shots outside the top 20. With no cut in place, both still have opportunities to climb the leaderboard over the next two rounds.
Reitan dominates with ten birdies
Kristoffer Reitan delivered the lowest round at the Nedbank since 2019, firing ten birdies and a lone bogey on the 17th. His -9 round puts him three shots ahead of Marcus Armitage, Adrien Saddier, and Jesper Svensson. Ranked 59th in the world, Reitan continues his strong form from last season, where he finished eighth in the Race to Dubai and earned dual status on the DP World and PGA Tours. \”It was a brilliant day,\” Reitan said. \”I’m very happy with my game from tee to green, and I hit some nice wedge shots and putted well.\”
Defending champion Veerman off to rough start
American Johannes Veerman, last year’s winner with a record-low score, opened with a disappointing +8. His round