McGinley making the early running

Paul McGinley carried on where he left off last year in the first round of the Dunhill Championship here yesterday.

The Irishman hit a six-under-par 66 to claim a share of the lead with the Welshman Stephen Dodd. Wales' Jamie Donaldson and the English pair Greg Owen and Mark Roe were among a group of six one shot back. Local favourites Ernie Els and Retief Goosen finished on four-under.

The former Queen's Park Rangers footballer Roy Wegerle, who is now trying his hand at competitive golf, shot a four-over-par 76 in his first professional tournament to finish joint 132nd in the 156-man field. "I didn't disgrace the football community did I?" joked the man who qualified on Tuesday.

Starting on the 10th, McGinley hit birdies at the 12th, 16th and 18th to reach the turn in 33. A birdie on the fifth took him to four-under par. Further birdies followed on the eighth and ninth.

DUNHILL CHAMPIONSHIP (Johannesburg) Leading first-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 66 P McGinley, S Dodd. 67 H Buhrmann (SA), J Donaldson, JF Remesy (Fr), N Henning (SA), J Kingston (SA), G Owen, M Roe. 68 M Mouland, A Coltart, E Els (SA), C Pettersson (Swe), M Pilkington, A Forsyth, A Wall, R Wessels (SA), R Goosen (SA), M Cayeux (Zim). 69 I Kennedy (SA), G Muller (SA), S Struver (Ger), T Clark (SA), G Levenson (SA), D Gilford, A Marshall, M Foster, B Dredge, S Daniels (SA), M Lafeber (Neth). Selected: 76 R Wegerle (SA).