Mongoose invasion stops play at Nedbank Golf Challenge tournament as they find their way onto the green in South Africa

TWENTY mongoose brought the The Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa to a short standstill.

They invaded the green just as players were about to take their putts.

For a while it looked as though they were heading straight for an in-play ball...

The animals thought to have come from the nearby Pilanesberg Game Reserve.

The Gary Player Country Club in Sun City is used to such invasions as it lies on the edge of the large reserve that which hosts lions, leopards, cheetahs and elephants.

Tournament-wise, England's Ross Fisher shares the lead with Chile's Felipe Aguilar and South Korea's Wang Jeung-hun.

They carded 68 while Sweden's Henrik Stenson bolstered his bid for a second Race to Dubai title after finishing the opening round one stroke behind the leading trio.

The Open champion made three straight birdies at 15, 16 and 17 on a tough day of scoring to register a three-under round of 69.

But he is set to gain considerable ground on Danny Willett in the Race to Dubai rankings.

He could lift the Harry Vardon Trophy -- awarded to the European Order of Merit winner -- for a second time in four years with victory in Sun City, provided Willett finishes outside the top two.

Masters champion Willett, second to Stenson in the standings ahead of next week's season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai, struggled to a three-over score of 75.

"It would be nice to wrap up the Race to Dubai, but I just want to play as well as I can for these two weeks and see where it takes me," said Stenson.

"Of course, you're always going to look a little bit and see what the other guys are doing, but at the end of the day I've got to focus on my game and I managed to do that, so I'm happy with today's work."