Benson, Kruger lead Dunhill Championship

Seve Benson and Jbe' Kruger both shot 8-under-par 64 Thursday and are tied for the lead at the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa. Benson didn't have a bogey en route to his 63 while Kruger had an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey for his share of the lead. George Coetzee, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Alan McLean and George Murray are tied for thirds at 6-under 66. Gonnet was 5-under over his last four holes while Coetzee and McLean each had seven birdies and a bogey on the day. Murray's round opened with three birdies and he had a string of four straight birdies over Nos. 13-16. However, he had two bogeys, a double bogey and three birdies in the holes in between. Benson was 3-under after six holes and had five birdies in a six-hole span of the back nine. Kruger, playing the back nine of at the Leopard Creek Country Club first Thursday, had consecutive birdies over Nos. 11-13. His lone bogey came at the 16th hole but he carded an eagle at the par-5 18th. He added birdies at 1 and 2 and moved into a tie for the lead with birdies at 6 and 8.