O'Hara keeps card hopes alive

Joint-leaderSteven OHara kept alive his hopes of retaining his European Tour card while home favourites Retief Goosen and Ernie Els were well-placed after the South African Open first round on Thursday.Scotlands OHara, who fired a seven-under-par 65 to share the lead, is 134th on the money list and a top-four finish in the co-sanctioned event with the Sunshine Tour will ensure he keeps his card.A top-10 finish will gain him entry into next weeks Hong Kong Open, which is his last chance to retain his playing privileges.I really need a good finish this week, so it would be great to put four rounds together. But I hit a lot of great shots today, OHara told reporters at the Serengeti Golf Estate.The 31-year-old was joined at the top of the leaderboard by South African Jbe Kruger, who also shot four birdies in five holes around the turn.They were one stroke ahead of two-times South African Open champion Goosen and his fellow South Africans David Hewan, Merrick Bremner and Tyrone Mordt.Last weeks Alfred Dunhill Championship winner, Garth Mulroy and Chiles Felipe Aguilar have positioned themselves well on five-under while five-times champion Ernie Els and George Coetzee were amongst the better performers from the afternoon field with a 69 and 68 respectively.
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