Christiaan Bezuidenhout was the standout South African performer during round one of the NBO Oman Open at Al Mouj Golf in Muscat, Oman, reports WADE PRETORIUS.

Bezuidenhout was the only player from South Africa to finish under par on Thursday.

The 23-year-old rebounded nicely from last week’s missed cut in Perth to set the pace among the eight South Africans in Oman during round one. Bezuidenhout started slowly with a bogey on the 13th hole – his fourth of the day – the only error of his morning. A birdie at the par-five 16th got him back on track before gains at the 4th and 7th holes got him nicely under par and in a share of 23rd place after his opening efforts.

He is five shots behind English duo Paul Waring and Matt Southgate.

There is a quartet of South Africans – Richard Sterne, Haydn Porteous, Zander Lombard and Jacques Kruswijk, in 49th place.

Both Porteous and Lombard worked extremely hard for their 72s in good conditions.

Porteous went out in 40 – he doubled the par-three 5th – but stormed in with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 14th, getting him back into the frame before an untimely drop at the 15th. That blemish was quickly forgotten after he holed out for an eagle two on the 425-yard par-four 18th hole.

Lombard, who made the cut last week but was knocked out in the first playoff round, failed to keep the mistakes at bay – he made back-to-back double drops at the 4th and 5th – as he settled for 72 despite a round that included five birdies and an eagle, as well as a solid three on the 12th.

Thomas Aiken shot 74, two better than Brandon Stone and three better than Darren Fichardt, who slipped from -2 through 8 to +5 after seven bogeys in his next nine holes before a par to close a forgetful day in Muscat.

Photo: Jan Kruger/Getty Images