Chris Hanson finds his working hours are cut on day one as European Tour player

When play was suspended due to bad weather at Leopard Creek, Hanson – playing his first European Tour event after winning his card last Thursday – was level par with four holes to play.

He will have to get up early on Friday to play holes six to nine, having begun his round on Thursday at the 10th, and said: “It was pretty windy out there when we got called off for thunder.

“It could be a blessing missing the rain and hopefully there will be less wind at 6.30 in the morning.”

He bogeyed the 11th, his second hole, but recovered immediately with a birdie at the 12th and added two more, at 15 and 17, to stand two under. However, a double bogey seven at the 541-yard par-5 18th and a bogey at the first took him back to one over for his round.

Again he showed his resilience, birdieing the next hole and three consecutive pars that followed had him at level when play was halted.

Harrogate's John Parry is one shot further back with three holes to complete.

He, too, stood two under at an early stage in his round, with birdies at the first and the sixth, but yielded both shots by the turn.

Bogeys at 10 and 15 sandwiched a third birdie of the round at 15.

Major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel were joined in the field by defending champion Branden Grace, but they all trail fellow South African Christiaan Basson in the opening event of the 2016 season.

Basson shot an error-free 64 to lie on eight under par and lead Schwartzel, Swindon's Matt Ford and Zimbabwe’s Mark Williams by three shots.

Schwartzel was one of 39 players still to finish their rounds when play was suspended due to bad weather.

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth, playing his 500th European Tour event, was in a group of seven players on four under.

Oosthuizen carded an opening 70 and Grace a 71, with play due to resume today at 6.30 local time.