Bizarre round as Goosen drops into trouble

South African Open: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 at Humewood Golf Club in Port Elizabeth yesterday.

Goosen's remarkable day included six birdies and two eagles. As he stood on the 17th tee he was on eight-under-par 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-par 69.

He trailed compatriots Ernie Els and Trevor Immelman, Andrew Rait of England and Spaniard Carl Suneson by two after they returned five-under-par 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 on 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 level par 35. He came home in five-under 32 after five birdies between the 10th and the 15th holes.

England's Lee Westwood, who was runner-up at last week's Alfred Dunhill Championship, continued his fine early season form with a round of 68 to join Sweden's Patrik Sjöland - another man returning to European Tour golf via the Qualifying School - and South African Des Terblanche in fifth place.

Westwood was still being plagued by his mysterious back injury, which spasms while he is playing and for which he is receiving treatment up to four times a day. "Its been tricky out there," he said.

"I haven't been at my best in terms of preparation for the tournament and haven't hit as many balls as I would have liked before getting out on to the course.

"I've been playing at about 75 per cent at the moment and I've been happy with my form for that."

Westwood missed the practice rounds on Tuesday and played only a limited amount in the pro-am but looked at home on the course as he partnered Goosen in yesterday's first round.

"I played a round at Pinnacle Point the other day and stiffened up while I was playing," said Westwood.

"It's locked up ever since and I've had ice on it the whole time. It spasms up a lot, and I can't really turn very well at the moment. I'm not really worried about it, though - it should go away.

"With the slowness on the back nine today, it just made it uncomfortable - and I was just trying to knock the ball down the middle of the green the entire time."

Westwood is not blaming his new fitness regime, which has seen him lose a stone-and-a-half over the past eight weeks.