Graeme Robertson led the Scottish charge as the battle for places in the knock-out stages of the Amateur Championship got under way in a fierce wind on the Kent coast.
The 24-year-old from Glenbervie, playing in the championship for the third and probably last time as he plans to turn professional at the end of the year, continued his season of consistency by matching the par of 71 over the tough Royal Cinque Ports links in the first of the two qualifying rounds.
Having posted highly-respectable finishes in both the Lytham and St Andrews Links Trophies and beaten only in a play-off for the Irish Open stroke-play crown, Robertson set out in confident mood and started well by bagging a birdie at the opening hole where he needed only a tap-in for his three after a sparkling second shot.
He made a mess of the second to drop a stroke but then picked one up when he got on the third green in two only to make a mess at the fifth the longest hole on the course where he was greenside for two but ended up with a six and bunker trouble at the 7th cost him a bogey.
Out in one over par 37, he came home with eight pars and a birdie three at the 448-yard 12th where he canned a 20 foot putt.
Amateur Championship debutant Lawrence Allen, an 18-year-old American college student who plays out of Alva, started with two birdies thanks to putts of eight and 20 feet and reached the turn in 35 but he carded three bogeys on the way home for a two over par 73.
“It was tough out there with such a swirling wind. It was just important to keep the ball in play,” said Allen.
Reigning Scottish champion Grant Forrest fired three successive birdies from the 10th in an inward half of 34 as he compiled a highly-creditable 74 to put himself on course for a leading qualifying spot.
Jordan McColl from Scotscraig, five times a winner on the college circuit in the States he has just finished in South Carolina also recorded 73 at Royal Cinque Ports after dropping strokes on two of the last four holes.
He three putted the 15th and missed from three feet at the penultimate hole.
Lundin’s Jamie White kept himself in with an excellent chance of qualifying for the knock-out phase (74) but the much-fancied Ewan Scott of St Andrews and Dollar’s Scott Borrowman left themselves with plenty to do after returning 78.