Pretoria professional Desvonde Botes had the early jump to set the bar at 21 points and his lead remained unchallenged as the first round of the Samsung Royal Swazi Sun Open wrapped up at the Royal Swazi Sun Country Club.

Playing in the morning field, Botes delivered a flawless performance.

His round of 62, worth 21 points under the Modified Stableford format, remained unchallenged and at the close of play, Botes remains four points ahead of Port Elizabeth's Titch Moore and is five clear of Jean Hugo and rookie Louis de Jager.

In the format that rewards players with two points for a birdie, five for an eagle, eight for an albatross and deducts one for a bogey and two for a double bogey or worse, Hugo overcame a pair of early bogeys with four birdies and two eagles.

De Jager, the 2007 SA Amateur Strokeplay champion, was all over the pin for most of day, carding a bogey-free 65 with three birdies and a set of eagles.

Englishman Neil Cheetham found some much needed form, collecting eight birdies offset by a lone bogey to move into fifth place with a 65 worth 15 points.

Keeping his card bogey-free under this format proved key to Botes' round.

"It was really nice to hand in a card like that. Keeping the mistakes off your card is key and everything seemed to go my way today. Even at the fourth, where my approach missed the green, I chipped in for birdie," said Botes, bidding for his 15th Sunshine Tour title.

"The group of guys I played with made up a nice little team. We had a lot of laughs out there and that kind of atmosphere, it was fun to play, especially when you are hitting the ball well."

Botes, who sunk a 5-metre putt at the par-5 12th for his eagle, admitted that lots of hours over the last two months on the driving range and putting green paid off dividends.

"I had a very mediocre summer; my best result was a tie for 21st at the Vodacom Championship... that's just plain bad for me. I worked really hard on all aspects of the game to get my form back to an acceptable level and I am pleased with the way things worked out today."

In his last two starts, both Vodacom Origins of Golf Tour events, he tied for 16th at both Bloemfontein Golf Club and Pretoria Country Club.

"This is the first time that I'm in the lead after a long time and I have to admit, it feels good when you've done the work," said Botes, whose last victory came at the Seekers Travel Pro-Am at Dainfern Country Club in 2006.

"I missed very few fairways, I struck my irons really well and the putter was sizzling. That's the kind of start you need under this format, so I am happy at this stage. Hopefully the streak continues on Thursday." Defending champion Des Terblanche had two bogeys and three birdies for a 71 worth four points that sees him tied for 34th. Local favourite Meschack Zwane is tied for 13th on nine points.

Sapa