The Challenge Tour might be Europe’s second division but the standard at the Scottish Hydro Challenge was pure Premier League as the Spey Valley course record was smashed twice within the space of half an hour.
Not by journeymen, either. It was the current Amateur champion Alan Dunbar and former US Amateur champion Byeong-hun An both now professional who returned matching nine-under 62s as the scoring was suitably electrifying on the first day in the Highlands.
With fairways running hard but greens receptive and just a cooling breeze, the usually tough heather-lined course was vulnerable, but that doesn’t fully account for a cut mark that could go as low as three-under and is testament to the quality of the European Tour’s junior circuit these days.
Dunbar certainly has an affinity with Scotland, it being just a year since he won the Amateur at Royal Troon. He also played in the winning GB&I team at the Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen and won the St Andrews Links Trophy in 2009, so he might well be seeking citizenship soon.
“Everyone seems to think I’m Scottish anyway,” said the 23-year-old from Rathmore, the ‘town’ club in Portrush in Northern Ireland which also spawned Graeme McDowell.
This was by some margin the Ulsterman’s best performance as a pro, but Dunbar one of the first to sign a management contract with Chubby Chandler’s ISM while still an amateur under new R&A rules didn’t make the switch until he took up his invitation to play in the Masters as a result of his Troon win.
“I think I had about only six competitive rounds before Augusta,” he said.
“I’ve been playing well but just not scoring until today. I didn’t have one putt over 15 feet, and I just got in a run; I didn’t even know I’d birdied five holes in a row at one stage until I finished.”
Dunbar actually bogeyed his first two holes, and with the quality on the Challenge Tour right now, that’s enough to put anyone in a panic, but he had 11 birdies in his remaining 16 holes.
“The scoring’s so good that if you’re two-over after four or five holes, you know you might struggle,” he said.
“But I was reminded it was a year since Troon by my coach Seamus Murphy, so that gave me a good feeling going into today.”
An known as Ben to one and all was in 2009 the youngest to win the US Amateur at the tender age of 17.
“It came a bit too early for me. I set my goals too high,” he admitted, having not hit those heights again.
Known as an aggressive player, he certainly was aiming for the flags with no bogeys and nine birdies, but didn’t think a 59 was on.
“The holes 10, 11 and 12 are too tough, I don’t think there’s a 59 out there. I’m trying to stay patient and not get ahead of myself like that.”
An certainly has sporting bloodlines, his Chinese mother and South Korean father having met romantically across the table tennis net while competing at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, but it was quickly agreed that ping-pong was not the game for their son.
“I was never any good at it, nor any other sports apart from golf, so that was what I aimed at,” said An, who is now based full-time in the US having gone to the David Leadbetter Academy in Florida.
The flood of scoring barely abated all day, with Spain’s Sebi Garcia one behind on 63 and some of the 26 Scots getting in on the act. Duncan Stewart from nearby Grantown-on-Spey is the best home player after a six-under 65, 2009 winner Jamie McLeary shot 66, while the Doherty brothers Jack (66) and Paul (67) are both within shooting range.
The 2010 winner George Murray shot 69, with Greig Hutcheon, the leading Tartan Tour player, coming in with a three-under 68.
“The standard is so good it’s frightening,” said the 40-year-old.
“(American) Brooks Koepka has won twice already this year, first by seven and then by 10 shots. You shoot three-under and find yourself six behind. I might have a chance this week but there’s no way I can compete against these guys over a whole season.”