Alfred Dunhill Championship - Day one digest

Christiaan Burke had a fun start, Jayden Schaper ate up his chips and Pablo Larrazabal went close to an ace in the first round of the 2026 Alfred Dunhill Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday's play.

Six of the best

Christiaan Burke was the surprise name sharing the lead after matching Eugenio Chacarra's 63, the lowest round ever made at Royal Johannesburg Club. Burke, the World Number 713, made a spectacular start with birdies at his first six holes and said: “Always fun, a six-birdie start! I only figured out after the seventh hole I made six birdies in a row so I just took the momentum from there.”

Amazed Grace

Branden Grace received a pleasant surprise midway through his round of 65 when his four at the first, his tenth hole, turned out to be a better score than he realised. "A little surprise birdie on one," he smiled. "When we got here at the beginning of the week it was a par four and I think with all the rain they’ve changed it to a par five, so I was just trying to not make a bogey on the scorecard and made an unbelievable four and was like, ‘oof, that’s a little bit of a bonus’."

No putter required for Schaper

Home hope Jayden Schaper finished the day five under, with this chip-in at the 13th accounting for one of his six birdies:

He then produced a near carbon copy from the back of the 18th green, this time for an eagle!

Pablo targets the pin

Pablo Larrazabal's tee-shot at the 201-yard 16th hopped left and was inches away from dropping for a hole-in-one.

Bekker starts and finishes in style

Oliver Bekker book-ended his round in spectacular style with eagles at the first and last holes to sit three off the lead. With a measure of understatement, the South African said: “It was really good, got off to a great start and finish – eagle on one and 18, so that really helps kick-start the scoreboard."

All smiles for Oosthuizen

Louis Oosthuizen couldn't help but laugh after this outstanding escape from trouble at the tenth...

You spin me right round...

Zander Lombard missed out on a birdie in excruciating fashion at the 17th. His reaction - and that of his playing partners - said it all.