Goosen stays in touch despite an 11

An 11 at the par-five 17th, which included a two-stroke penalty, cost defending champion Retief Goosen a share of the lead in the first round of the South African Open.

Goosen's remarkable day included six birdies and two eagles. As he stood on the 17th tee he was on eight-under with a three-shot lead.

To his credit, the South African shrugged off the 11 and birdied the last to close with a three-under 69.

He trailed compatriots Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman and Andrew Rait of Britain and Spaniard Carl Suneson by two after they returned five-under 67s.

Goosen thought he had scored a nine on the 17th after twice finding trouble from the tee but rules official Andy McFee discovered an infringement over the dropping of a ball from an unplayable position and he was penalised two shots.

Goosen took the setback with a typical shrug of the shoulders and birdied the par-four last.

In difficult windy conditions Els, who started on the 10th, went out in one-under 36. But birdies on the par-four fifth hole, the par-three sixth and an eagle on the par-five seventh, turned his round.

"Before I went out I would have taken 67 for sure," Els said. "When I went out I wasn't sure what the wind was going to do, but it seemed to blow consistently."

Immelman made eagle in the 350-yard par-four ninth, his 18th, by holing a 35-foot putt after driving the green to move to five-under.

Suneson, starting on the first, dropped to one-over after three holes. Birdies at the fourth and seventh saw him turn in even par 35.

He came home in five-under 32 after five birdies between the 10th and the 15th holes.

Leaderboard:

5 under — Ernie Els (Rsa) (after 18 holes)
          Trevor Immelman (Rsa) (18)
          Andrew Raitt (18)
          Carl Suneson (Spa) (18)

4 under — Patrik Sjoland (Swe) (18)
          Desmond Terblanche (Rsa) (18)
          Lee Westwood (18)

3 under — Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe) (18)
          Gareth Davies (18)
          Pelle Edberg (Swe) (18)
          Retief Goosen (Rsa) (18)
          James Kamte (Rsa) (18)
          James Kingston (Rsa) (18)
          Alan McLean (18)