Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin made a mockery of the difficult conditions to be the only player not to drop a shot in posting a five under par 67 on the first day of the $US 4m elite 36-player field Volvo Champions event.

The 39-year old Lyon golfer returned from a lengthy six week absence to finish the first day of his first event of 2014 a shot clear of defending champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa.

French ace Raphael Jacquelin ends a six week break with a five under par 67 in Durban. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com_

“This a great happy New Year start for me to shoot five under as I had a very long break in the winter and it’s worked for me well,” said Jacquelin.

“I’m better when the conditions are difficult, and I just seem to score better whether it is in the wind or in the rain, or if the course is difficult, like playing the Majors at venues like the US Open.

“I also stayed focus all day long and when you manage to save par in these conditions you  are always going to have a good round.  That’s the way I like to play.”

Jacquelin qualified for the tournament capturing a fourth European Tour title in winning last year’s Spanish Open after a European Tour record-setting nine hole play-off.

Oosthuizen came into the event still under an injury cloud after a frustrating 2013 marred by back injury.

However the conditions played right into the hands of the former British Open champion.

“I grew up in Mossel Bay where the wind was born and then goes out to the rest of the country,” he laughed.

“So the conditions today were very much like back home and what I have been used to most of my life.

“But in saying that I am just very chuffed with my score today because if I had finished one under par or level I would have been happy, as well.

“Also it’s just good to get the feel of playing competing again after all the weeks off but then there is a lot of golf left and this tournament is still very young and besides this golf course can bite you very easy.”

Fellow British Open winner Darren Clarke and Frenchman Victor Dubuisson are next best with rounds of 69.

Just 16 players managed to break par and with two winners from late last year in Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn and Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez struggling.

Bjorn, who won the Nedbank Challenge and his last tournament appearance, posted two back nine double bogeys in a round of 79 playing alongside Oosthuizen.

The triple Hong Kong Open winning Jimenez also had two double bogeys in his score of 76.