South African Tim Clark and Dane Morten Orum Madsen shared the lead after the Nelson Mandela Championship finally got underway on Saturday after rain delayed play for two days.
Amid news Mandela had been hospitalised for “medical attention”, Clark and Madsen carded five-under-par 60s at the Royal Durban Golf Club, reduced from the initial par 70 to par-65 over 5,594 metres.
The rain-hit tournament was also reduced to 36 holes.
Just as the round was finishing, the presidency announced the country’s first black president, now 94, had been hospitalised for “medical attention … consistent with his age.”
“There is no cause for alarm,” said presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj in a statement.
The inaugural 1 million euro ($A1.25 million) tournament, named after the Noble Peace Laureate, was delayed two days after summer showers soaked the course this week.
Organisers have reduced the championship to a two-round competition, to finish by Sunday.
Clark, 36, shot six birdies and one bogey for his early lead before Madsen later caught up.
“It’s really a case of when we did get to play, come out, try and play well and put yourself in a position,” said Clark.
“So I’m happy to have done that; we obviously can’t tell what the future holds, but I do hope we get to play some more golf.
“Normally you can sort of pace yourself, but right now you’ve got to go as low as you can and be aggressive.”
Rookie Madsen, fresh from qualifying school, dropped a stroke on the par-five first hole.
His bunker shot was braked by South African Ruan de Smidt’s ball on the second hole, and his par there got him going again.
“That was a nice momentum thing for me and I really got me going again. I played some really solid golf from there,” the 24-year-old said afterwards.
Only one stroke behind, South Africa’s Lindani Mdwandwe and Englishman Chris Lloyd are breathing down the leaders’ necks.