Only an individual win by reigning PGA Professionals Championship winner Sam Eaves in the afternoon singles prevented the Aussies from suffering a clean sweep after South Africa took both morning fourball matches in tight contests.

Playing against Ivano Ficalbi and Jannie Botha, TJ King and Mitchell Smith went 8-under for their round yet still lost 1 down, Eaves and captain Matt Docking going down by the same narrow margin to Cornell Muller and Gavin Vorster.

One down after the second hole, King and Smith never got behind by more than two holes yet were unable to ever get back on level terms.

Smith narrowed the margin to just one hole with a birdie at the par-4 15th but, as Ficalbi held strong down the stretch, the Aussie pair could not claw back the hole they needed.

Docking and Eaves were engaged in a more see-sawing contest.

Also down one after the second hole, Docking and Eaves combined superbly to win the fourth, seventh and eighth holes to go 2 up.

The South African pair closed the gap to one by the turn and then drew level when they won the 11th hole.

Docking won the 13th hole to put the Aussies 1 up again before Muller won both the 15th and 17th holes to give the South Africans their second win of the morning.

Eaves exacted some revenge for the morning defeat with a commanding 4&3 win over Vorster in the afternoon singles, going 3 up through the first five holes and 5 up through nine to ensure an early finish.

Conversely, King was 3 down through five holes of his match against Ficalbi and was unable to claw it back, going down 6&4.

There was back and forth in the remaining two singles matches.

Smith was 1 up early against Muller and all square through 11 but lost both the 12th and 13th holes to fall 2 down. He pulled one back at the 15th but succumbed 2&1 when Muller won the 17th hole.

Two down through four, Docking won three holes in succession to be 1 up through seven, the match brought back to square when Botha won the 10th hole.

The South African won both the 13th and 15th holes and secured a 2&1 win with halved holes at both 16 and 17.

In the other matches, Canada and New Zealand split the morning fourballs with the home nation taking 2.5 of the four points on offer in the singles.

Day two sees Australia take on New Zealand and South Africa face Canada.

Scores

Standings
South Africa     5
Canada            3.5
New Zealand    2.5
Australia          1