Drikus heads Q-School

Although neither of them is by any means a grizzled veteran Langeveld turns 31 next month and Van der Walt is just 24 they have seven years of experience between them on the Sunshine Tour.

That showed as they carded six-under-par 66s on the 7302m Bloemfontein Golf Club to hold a one-stroke edge over Gideon Pienaar, the man who scored best with a 67 on the 7152m Schoeman Park.

There are 236 entrants, who will have to play two rounds on each of the Bloemfontein Golf Club and Schoeman Park courses ahead of the cut to 60 players.

After a final round at Bloemfontein Golf Club, the top 30 players and ties will get their Sunshine Tour cards.

Van der Walt, who earned his biggest pay cheque as a professional in the 2012 Telkom PGA Championship with his share of 24th, has three top-10s on the Sunshine Big Easy Tour.

However, his 118th-place finish on the 2013 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit left him 18 places adrift of gaining his 2014 playing privileges.

The top amateurs after the first round were South Africans Bryce Bibby of Royal Durban, Ryan Birnie of Durban Country Club and Parys Golf Club’s Stefan Erasmus, all on three-under-par 69.

– Sapa