Clan-Members » ith a 66 to tie for third, while Schwartzel

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- A late charge gave Englands Matthew Nixon an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead after the first round of the South African Open, the start of the 2014 European Tour season. Two-time U.S. Open winner Retief Goosen and former Masters winner Charl Schwartzel also were in early contention at their home tournament. Nixon was one of the last players to finish Thursday, but ended with birdie, eagle, par to knock Italys Marco Crespi and South Africas Jbe Kruger off the top of the leaderboard at Glendower Golf Club. Goosen began with a 66 to tie for third, while Schwartzel shot 67. Schwartzels younger brother, Attie, a pro on South Africas Sunshine Tour, matched his more famous sibling to share sixth place at 5 under. Goosen is still recovering from back surgery in 2012 that wiped out most of his last two seasons and made steady progress on Thursday with seven birdies and just one dropped shot at the par-3 No. 6. "Six under any day is pretty good," the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open champion said. "It was nice to finish off good, too. Im feeling good. Im going after the ball a little bit now, so getting some consistency going." The 44-year-old Goosen hasnt won a tournament since March 2009. Charl Schwartzel, fresh off a victory in China on the OneAsia Tour last month, had five birdies, while Attie Schwartzel had seven birdies and two bogeys. South African Christiaan Basson set the early pace, adding four birdies and an eagle to a string of pars in a 66. Crespi and Kruger picked up four straight birdies from No. 12 through 15 and moved a shot ahead. Nixon took the lead at the end after opening with four birdies in his first five holes and finishing strongly with an eagle on the par-5 No. 8, his 17th. Former British Open champion David Duval had a 74, and Europe Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley shot 75. The new season teed off in Johannesburg just four days after Henrik Stenson won the 2013 money list and season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai. Vincent Trocheck Jersey . - Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin has cleared league-mandated concussion protocol and has returned to practice as a full participant. Mike Hoffman Jersey . The Asheville, N.C. native, who signed as a free agent with the CFL club last May, didnt see any action with Edmonton this season after opening the year on the injured list. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline....-hockey-jersey/. (January 11, 2014) – Once again Kevin Martin proved why he is the all-time TSN skins leader, winning $11,500 in prize money and a spot in the Travelers All-Star Curling Skins Game presented by Pintys final following a semifinal victory over Brad Jacobs earlier this evening at the Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre in Banff, Alta. Mark Pysyk Jersey . -- Arkansas didnt need a spectacular dunk to beat No. Aleksander Barkov Panthers Jersey . Goodell said in an ESPN Radio interview Monday (http://es.pn/1gkbauy ) that participants played harder and made the game very competitive. Goodell says he had fun watching the game Sunday and thinks fans did, too.Melbourne, Australia - Tomas Berdych fended off a David Ferrer comeback on Tuesday and reached his first Australian Open semifinal as a result. Berdych, seeded seventh, won the first two sets of the quarterfinal meeting in quick fashion, then suddenly lost the momentum when the third-seeded Ferrer rallied to win the third. The hard-hitting Czech, having lost in the quarters of the Aussie Open the previous three years, made sure it wouldnt happen a fourth as he finished off a 6-1, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 triumph at Rod Laver Arena. The first set lasted just 30 minutes, and Berdych appeared poised to make it a quick one by taking a two sets to love lead. Ferrer broke Berdychs serve twice in a third set that saw him nudge a line judge standing near a chair he wanted to put a towel on, a sign he was up for a fight. The frustrated Spaniard, however, coulldnt overcome Berdychs serve in the fourth, as Berdych fended off a break point in the final game and came away with the victory in three hours, three minutes.dddddddddddd. Ferrer rallied from two sets down to beat Nicolas Almagro in last years Aussie quarters before eventually losing in the semis to Novak Djokovic, who will play eighth-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in Tuesdays other quarterfinal. The former No. 1 Djokovic is a dominant 15-2 lifetime against Wawrinka, including a fourth-round win here a year ago. The Serbian star also topped the Swiss in a U.S. Open semifinal last season. Djokovic, seeded second this year, has won his last 25 matches at the Aussie Open, where hes the three-time reigning champion and has captured four of the last six titles Down Under. Berdych fended off a Ferrer comeback attempt on Day 9. ' ' '