Course record shoots "exceptional" Colsaerts to top at Fancourt Published on Friday 20 January 2012 02:24 Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium leads the Volvo Golf Champions event by four strokes after a course-record 64 at Fancourt in South Africa. Former Open champion Padraig Harrington was three behind until he finished with a double-bogey 7 that left England's Tom Lewis and home hopes Thomas Aiken and Branden Grace in joint second. Colin Montgomerie is in a tie for ninth after a 70, two fewer than Paul Lawrie, who had a brace of eagles in his opening round. "Exceptional, but so is he," said Montgomerie of Colsaerts" nine-under-par round. He is fantastic - potentially as good as it gets. Despite such praise Colsaerts has only won once in nearly 200 European Tour starts, which will encourage the other 34 players. Until he reached the 549-yard 18th, Harrington was the one doing his best to reel Colsaerts in but a bad drive and three putts led to a double bogey and a 69. The Dubliner, 89th in the world and trying to get back into the top 64 in time for next month's Accenture world match play in Arizona, said: "It was a very comfortable six under for 17 holes, but it's a nasty tee shot and that was a mental error." Instead Lewis and South Africans Aiken and Grace, who qualified by winning the Joburg Open on Sunday, share second. Montgomerie played alongside Lewis and said afterwards: "He has every opportunity to make "you-know-what" come September," said Montgomerie in reference to the Ryder Cup. No European has ever gone from Walker Cup to Ryder Cup in a year - Rickie Fowler has done it for the Americans - and Lewis is not dismissing the possibility. "If I play well there's no reason why not," said last year's St Andrews Links Trophy winner and a member of the triumphant Walker Cup team at Royal Aberdeen. The day belonged to Colsaerts, though. The biggest hitter in Europe two seasons ago, he was looking forward to The Open at Sandwich last July after finishing third in the Scottish Open but suffered an elbow injury in a scooter accident. Colsaerts was out for two months and has not had a top-eight finish since, but nine birdies in the last 11 holes was a reminder of what he is capable of. Montgomerie, playing with Callaway clubs for the first time in nearly a decade, was pleased with his performance. "I've got a bit to work on, particularly with my driver, but for the start of the year that's okay," said the 48-year-old. Lawrie, who was able to take his place in the 35-man field despite suffering a muscle spasm in his back on Wednesday, had an up-and-down day. The Aberdonian had eagle-3s at both the ninth and 13th but then dropped two shots in his last three holes. "I played good enough to shoot five or six-under but shot one-under, which is a bit disappointing," he said.