Golf: Strong start by Brown

Mark Brown. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand golfer Mark Brown has made a promising start to the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.

Brown posted a first round of three-under-par 69 today to sit in a share of 11th place on the highly rated Leopard Creek course at Malelane designed by South African legend Gary Player.

He overcame a sluggish start featuring three bogeys on the outward nine to rattle off five birdies in the space of six holes on the journey home to trail the leader, South African Anthony Michael, by three strokes.

Brown is coming off a highly satisfactory season on the European Tour where re retained his card by earning 269,117 euro ($NZ473,538) to sit 114th on the moneylist.

- NZPA