Marcus Kinhult holds a two-shot lead over a chasing pack that includes amateur Eliot Baker after the first round at the Nexo Championship in Scotland.
The Swede mixed seven birdies with two bogeys in a five-under-par 67 over the Old Course at Trump International Golf Links, on a day of testing conditions that demanded patience.
Baker, who was announced on Tuesday as part of the Great Britain and Ireland team for next month's Walker Cup, is one of four players at three under alongside fellow Englishman Andrew Wilson, France's Félix Mory and Zimbabwe's Benjamin Follett-Smith.
Kinhult, whose sole DP World Tour victory to date came on UK soil at the British Masters in 2019, came close to his second title earlier this season as he finished tied second in Belgium.
Among the afternoon wave who enjoyed the better of the weather as the morning rain cleared away and sunny skies appeared, albeit with strong winds, Kinhult produced a hat-trick of birdies on his back nine to hit the front late in the day but conceded he was far from at his best.
"It was a very ugly minus five," he said. "Tee to green, it was not great to be honest.
"I’m not going to complain, I’m very happy with the score, but I was a little bit off off the tee, and also into the green.
"My short game and putting was unbelievable today, which obviously helps, so I’m happy with the score."
Kinhult began his round with a chip-in birdie at the par five tenth, before adding further gains at the par three 13th and 16th to play his front nine in three under.
An up-and-down from short of the par five first had him at four under but he slipped back to two under after finding the water with his tee shot at the second and making another bogey at the fourth after a lost ball off the tee.
A birdie at the fifth steaded the ship and he then set up a short-range birdie with a brilliant tee shot at the sixth, before converting from 20 feet at the seventh.
"I think the bogey on four the most important, to be honest, because I lost a ball left off the tee, so I made birdie on my second ball, which was good for the momentum," he added.
"Had I made a seven there, it would’ve been tough to get back I guess, and that six felt very, very good. Then some bonus putts dropped in the end there as well.
"I don’t know the split, but I feel like the afternoon was probably a bit easier than this morning.
"When I walked outside this morning at 7 o’clock, it was raining pretty hard and it was cold, so I think we got the better draw today. It was tough.
"It’s slightly different this year, I remember last year the wind was the other direction, so the course is playing completely different, so it’s a good challenge for sure."
Starting at the first, Baker, the sole amateur in the field, capitalised on the downwind first to get off to the dream start with a birdie but soon gave it back after missing the green at the par three third.
In an eventful start to his day, he then eagled the fourth before a three-putt bogey at the fifth left him at one under again.
An excellent tee shot was then followed up with a fine chip as he birdied the short par four seventh, but he missed the fairway with his drive at the eighth on his way to a front nine of under.
He was flawless thereafter though as he holed a 12-foot birdie putt at the 11th before ending his day with a birdie from similar range at the 18th.
"Didn't really know what to expect from today, but I just enjoyed the experience out there and thankfully it went well," said Baker, winner of last year’s Scottish Men’s Open Championship at North Berwick.
"Just kind of kept patient, got off to a nice start, which made it a lot easier and got a lot more comfortable. Just made sure I kept the ball in play and just kept on the right side of the pins.
"I've no expectation this week, just purely trying to enjoy it, gaining the experience and hoping it builds me as a player.
"It's a very similar course to what we're going to be playing at Lahinch. We're hoping to get some weather like this, so it plays in our favour. I mean, it’s huge for the confidence. Hopefully we can do a good job over there."
HotelPlanner Tour graduate Mory held the first-round last week in Denmark before falling away, but contended well in the afternoon gusts that approached 30mph.
The 31-year-old, who has made four of his last six cuts on the DP World Tour, quickly got into the red with a birdie at the 11th, before he recovered from a dropped shot at the 17th as he got up and down for a birdie at the 18th to return to one under.
He was indebted to his short game again at the first to card another birdie, before he made two on the bounce at the fifth and sixth, and despite a bogey at the next he was thrilled with his performance.
"I'm pretty happy," he said. "I mean, it's pretty tough. It's windy. The course itself is already not so easy, you know, and the wind makes it tough. So, very pleased with today.
"Just keep doing the same thing. I mean, it's going to be blowing, we're in Scotland, you know? So probably a lot of low shots and yeah, just stick to what I'm doing and just do the best I can."
Follett-Smith made his first cut on the DP World Tour since May last week at the Danish Golf Championship and is in need of a big result as he looks to climb from 173rd on the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World.
The 32-year-old, a two-time winner on the HotelPlanner Tour, made birdies at the tenth and 16th as he dropped just the one shot on his front nine at the 15th.
Birdies at the first and fourth followed as he capitalised on the par fives that played downwind over the front nine, before he recovered from a bogey at the eighth to set up a tap-in birdie at the ninth.
There were then eight players at two under, including Danish duo Jacob Skov Olesen and Lucas Bjerregard, English pair Matthew Southgate and Haydn McCullen, Japan's Keita Nakajima, Australia's Jason Scrivener, Sweden's Albin Bergstrom and Scotland's Scott Jamieson.
