(CNN) -- South African Brandon Pieters took a surprise lead on the first day of the Africa Open, while compatriot and the tournament's highest-ranked player Retief Goosen struggled to find his form on home soil.
World number 815 Pieters carded a seven under-par 66 at the opening European Tour event of 2011.
It gave Pieters, a regular on Africa's Sunshine Tour, a one-shot lead going into the second round at the East London golf club.
Fellow South Africans Jaco Van Zyl and Branden Grace joined English pair Miles Tunnicliff and Elliot Saltman and Jean Baptiste Gonnet of France.
Swede Fredrik Ohlsson is also on six-under with a hole to play after bad light, combined with an earlier delay, left him on the course.
But world number 14 Goosen was out of sorts in a two-over round of 75 which leaves the 41-year-old struggling to make the halfway cut.
There was a better showing for two of South Africa's other favorites, defending champion Charl Schwartzel and British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen.
One of the last players to tee-off, Schwartzel finished in a large group on four- under, which included Europe Ryder Cup vice captain Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland.
And world number 21 Oosthuizen is currently just four off the lead after finishing the day with a three-under par round of 70.
Elsewhere, Thursday also sees the start of the PGA Tour in the United States with the Tournament of Champions in Maui, Hawaii.
Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia is looking for his third straight victory at the event.
But the pick of the opening round pairings at the Kapalua Resort sees Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell playing with Ryder Cup rival American Hunter Mahan -- their first encounter since their decisive singles match at the team-event in October.
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