Pepperell pleased after taking Mauritius lead
Afrasia Picture: Mauritius Le A Images Of Putt One On Golf Lines Up Stuart Choisy At Franklin/getty Bank Day Open Eddie Mont 18th On Green The The Pepperell
Englishman Eddie Pepperell saved his best until last as a birdie hat-trick at the end of his first round saw him lead the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open by one shot after 18 holes.
Early starter Jacob Skov Olesen had led for most of the day after carding an eagle and three birdies in his sparkling 67 to reach five under par.
And with the wind causing problems in the afternoon, no-one looked likely to catch the Dane until Pepperell birdied four of the last five holes to leapfrog him into first place.
Pepperell, who suffered the disappointment of missing out on his card by one shot at DP World Tour Qualifying School last month, shot a total of seven birdies and one bogey in his opening 66 to get to six under.
Olesen sits alone in second place, one shot ahead of Italian Renato Paratore, Norway's Andreas Halvorsen, Dane Hamish Brown and South Africans Jayden Schaper, Jacques Blaauw and Wilco Nienaber.
Pepperell, who has his wife Jen on the bag this week, said: "I am pleased with that. I wasn't expecting it, I wouldn't have said.
"After bogeying the second hole I was worried it was going to be one of those Thursdays again, a bit like last week in the windy conditions.
"But I turned it around really nicely and played very well, to be honest, on the whole. So I'm very pleased.
"Good finish. I told myself on the 15th 'just keep your head down, let it happen'. It's been a while since I've been in a position where you're three, four, five under par at the top of the leaderboard - even on a Thursday.
"So sometimes it can get in your head and it could have done but I just tried to keep my head down, focus and keep doing what I've been doing on the range yesterday and today, and it seemed to work."
Gary Hurley shot two-over in a tie for 80th. The West Waterford player had five birdies but a bad day on the par threes, including a double and a treble bogey, knocked him back.
Conor Purcell is well off the page after a 78.
