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The European Tour’s 2011 Race to Dubai began Thursday in South Africa. Anthony Michael, a 25-year-old South African who briefly played baseball in Oklahoma before turning to golf, is the surprise first-round leader after shooting a six-under 66. Ranked No. 890 in the world, Michael has  a one-shot lead on a pack of four golfers in second, including Robert Rock of England (World No. 157).

The first round was not kind to the top-ranked player in the field, Louis Oosthuizen (No. 24), the South African who won the 2010 British Open by a huge margin.  On Thursday, Oosthuizen had two double bogeys on the opening seven holes, and only managed a four-over 76. That ties him for 110th and leaves him 10 shots back and in danger of missing the cut.

Oosthuizen has struggled since returning from about two months off recovering from injury, although he did finish 13th at the Dubai World Championship two weeks ago in his second tournament back.

The pre-tournament favorite, South African Charl Schwartzel (No. 39) fared somewhat better, making four birdies and only two bogeys on his way to a two-under 70, tying him for 18th. Schwartzel won the tournament back in 2004, and sounded confident that he was still well within striking distance. “It’s still very early,” he said. “I just didn’t get going, and if it gets going soon, it will quickly be something like six under.”