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Darren Clarke carded an eight-under-par round of 63 to earn a five-way share of second place after a weather-affected opening round at the Joburg Open.
Clarke a Taylormade Golf Tour Player, 28th last week at the Africa Open, had no bogeys at the East Course.
Simon Khan was also eight-under after eight birdies, an eagle and two bogeys, with Alistair Forsyth one further back.
Play was delayed for almost two hours by lightning but South African Neil Schietekat returned to post his ninth birdie for a one-shot first day lead.
Clarke's fellow Northern Irishman Michael Hoey recorded five birdies and two bogeys in a first-round 68 to lie three under for the tournament, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and South African Sunshine Tour.
The golfers play one round over both the East and West courses at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club on the first two days, before the remainder of the event takes place over the more demanding East course at the weekend.
All the top six played at the West, and Schietekat would have broken the course record by one shot but for the fact placing was allowed on the wet fairways.
The 25-year-old Johannesburg-born player joined the Sunshine Tour in 2006, is still seeking his first victory but carded the best round of his professional career.
"I made a lot of putts today," he said. "You know when you think you've hit a good approach shot but you'd take par? Well, all of a sudden, I've got a great line, great pace, great everything and it goes in the middle of the hole."
European money-list leader Charl Schwartzel could have held the outright lead himself but for a double-bogey six at the 12th, and he finished in the group on eight-under.
"I had made seven birdies in a row and pretty much felt unstoppable and then got a little bit greedy with my first putt," he said. "I left myself about two and a half feet down the hill and all of a sudden I had four-putted."
The joint-best score on the far more challenging East course came from 49-year-old Barry Lane, playing in his 649th European Tour event.
Only Sam Torrance has made more appearances on the Tour than Lane, who opened with a bogey but recovered with five birdies in the next eight holes, aided by wife Camilla as caddie.
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