A four-under-par 68 has got Matt Wallace off to a good start in his first tournament of 2018, but it was a case of what might have been after a disappointing end to his round.

The Moor Park Golf Club professional was in blistering form from the outset at the BMW SA Open and was seven-under through his first 12 holes. But he dropped three shots in his closing five holes, including a costly double bogey at the last, to slip back to four-under at Glendower Golf Club and in a tie for fourth place at the time of writing.

Wallace was among the early starters and having started from the 10th, his putter was quickly in the groove with birdies at 11, 13 and 14 to move him to three-under after five holes.

The 27-year-old was to go ‘out’ in a five-under-par score of 31 after consecutive birdies at 17 and 18 and he picked up back-to-back shots again at the second and third to continue his charge to seven-under.

Although the Pinner-based professional dropped his first shot at the fifth, that was instantly retrieved with an eighth birdie of the day at the sixth, ensuring he made a two on all four par three holes.

But Wallace was to make a second bogey at the seventh before the double-bogey six at nine saw him fall three shots behind first round pace-setter, American Chase Koepka.