TROWBRIDGE professional Steve Surry shot a superb 64 to lead the Sunshine Tour's Nedbank Affinity Cup in sweltering conditions in South Africa today.

Cumberwell Park touring pro Surry, 31, took advantage of sneaking into the tournament field on his ranking to share the early lead with Botswana’s Stuart Smith and home player Jacques Blaauw.

With temperatures pushing 32 degrees, the Wiltshire man compiled an eight-under-par round after starting on the 10th, immediately making two consecutive birdies.

Further birdies came at the 16th and 18th toa take him to the turn at four-under.

Four birdies over the front nine, including three in succession from the second to the fourth, boosted Surry to the top on eight-under-par.

“I played well and on the few holes where I was struggling I managed to scramble well. It was a good day all around,” said Surry.

“I’ve been playing the Sunshine Tour for the last couple of years. I just squeezed in as one of the last two guys into the field, so it’s a bit of a bonus playing this week and I’d like to make the most of it,” he said.

“I made a par at the first that got things going,” he said. “I hit it into the trees right and had to chip out, but then I hit a nine-iron to about a foot, so that set the momentum a bit.

"After that I just tried to play quite conservatively. My distance control was good and that’s the game plan, because the greens are quite narrow, and I ended up scoring well.”

UPDATES ON SURRY'S PROGRESS AT WILTSHIRETIMES.CO.UK/SPORT AND IN THIS WEEK'S WILTSHIRE TIMES