IT WAS a mixed bag on the opening day for Wiltshire’s golfers at the Joburg Open as the weather brought a premature end to the day’s play.

Derry Hill’s Jordan Smith, Laurie Canter and Steve Surry, from the Cumberwell Park club near Bradford on Avon, and two-time Ryder Cup star David Howell were all in action in South Africa with varying levels of success.

Howell could only manage to finish one over after his first round on the East course at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club, placing him 138th.

The Broome Manor member got off to a solid start with a birdie four on the first hole, before hitting a trio of bogeys on the third, fourth and fifth.

He was able to steady himself to a degree when he gathered a birdie four on the eighth and a birdie three on the 10th.

However, the Swindon star signed off his round of 73 with a bogey six on the final hole.

Smith was the furthest up the leaderboard on a score of four under on the West course, which left him tied 14th, five shots off early leader Paul Peterson.

The 24-year-old Bowood player collected a birdie four on the second hole, before picking up another two on the par-three fifth and par-five ninth.

His back nine was slightly more turbulent, collecting back-to-back birdie threes on the 11th and 12th before blemishing his scorecard with a bogey five on the 14th.

However, Smith then made light work of regaining the extra stroke on the par-five 15th but then signed off his round with a bogey five on the last hole, leaving him with a round of 67.

One shot further down the pecking order was Canter, whose three under, also on the West course, had him joint 26th in the early standings.

Surry sat tied for 162nd with a score of two over par after his East course round.

English duo Aaron Rai and Paul Waring carded rounds of 65 before bad weather forced play to be suspended.