Australian Robert Allenby fired a two under par 70 to be two shots off the pace after the opening round of the lucrative $US4.06 million ($A7.31 million) Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City.

In a part of South Africa that has had less than ten per cent of its normal November rainfall, hard, fast greens and firm fairways kept all the contenders within striking distance of each other.

Chris DiMarco, winner of the Phoenix Open on the US Tour this year, shared the lead at four under with South African Retief Goosen.

DiMarco had to scramble for a bogey on the sixth hole, the shortest par-four on the course. But, for the rest, it was a blemish-free effort with five birdies in his first tournament round over the course at the Gary Player Country Club, northwest of Johannesburg.

Goosen had a bogey-free round, but felt his game still has a way to go before he feels satisfied.

"I had a lot of chances for birdies coming in, but I just don't feel comfortable over the ball at the moment," said the winner of the 2001 US Open.

Defending champion Sergio Garcia shot a 70 to be two shots off the pace. "I just didn't play well," said the 22-year-old Spaniard.

However, in an amusing quirk, he chipped in on the par-three 16th, which is exactly what he did last year to defeat South Africa's Ernie Els in the first playoff hole.

"As I stood over the ball, I remembered that shot, and when it went in I thought to myself that I'm not going to bother to hit the green there anymore," said Garcia.

Jim Furyk of the United States, disqualified in last year's first round after breaching a rule which allows players a single replacement of their ball on the fairways, as applied on the European Tour and in South Africa, shot a fine opening 69 to tumultuous support from the galleries.

"A lot of people told me they were glad to have me here, and it sure was nice to have the support of people in Ernie Els' backyard," he said.

Furyk was somewhat dismissive of his round on a day when scoring was clearly not as easy as it has been over the past few years.

"There was hardly any wind, and that allowed us to score a little bit," he said of a round which contained a single bogey and four birdies.

Both he and Els, a two-time winner at Sun City, paid compliment to the organisers.

"The greens are absolutely perfect for us," said Els. "If you play the shots you're supposed to, the birdies are out there."

Els ended up taking a bogey on the 13th when he ended up in the deep rough, and was able only to flick the ball to his left to get a semblance of a third shot to the green.

He added a second bogey on the 18th, thanks to a wayward two-iron off the tee, and a poor first putt to finish on two-under-par 70.

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