South Korea’s Byeong Hun An raced into first round lead after recording a superb nine-under-par 61 at the Genesis Scottish Open.
A run of four consecutive bogies in his back nine catapulted An to the top of the leaderboard at The Renaissance Club – two shots ahead of American Davis Riley.
An, who has been on the PGA Tour since 2016, is no stranger to Scotland, having finished tied second behind Brooks Koepka at the 2013 Scottish Hydro Challenge at Spey Valley.
The 31-year-old has also racked up eight Open Championship appearances, but has yet to secure his place at next week’s tournament at Royal Liverpool.
An says he quickly felt comfortable in his East Lothian surroundings.
He said: “I started on the Challenge Tour playing links courses and played the Open many times. I like links golf.
“It’s different than the courses we play in the United States. You just have to land it in different spots.
“I really like it as long as the weather is nice. I prefer warm weather, but a links course, I feel comfortable. It can get tricky hitting shots into, but I think I did well.
“I feel like I’m back home. This is the tour I started my professional career. It’s been great coming back.
“I couldn’t play any better. I drove it well and hit it well and chipped it well and putted well. That’s a clean scorecard.”
Detry in the mix at Renaissance
Belgium’s Thomas Detry is two shots adrift of An, alongside Rory McIlroy on six-under-par.
Detry is eager to build on his strong start, adding: “I’m happy. I feel like I’m on my playground out here. I’ve had some success the last couple years and I felt good after the start.
“Obviously started the day with three birdies in a row. That always helps. After that, I missed a couple of tee shots and managed to get some amazing up-and-downs to really keep the momentum going.
“I qualified for The Open on a links course last week, so it was a good preparation for the tournament this week.
“There are no big adjustments for me. Just a lot of feel golf, I want to say – feeling the shot in there, feeling the putts with the wind. I think that’s the most important.”
America’s Gordon does his Scottish roots proud
American Will Gordon says his strong start to the Scottish Open is the perfect nod to his heritage.
Gordon, who is from North Carolina, is making his first visit to Scotland where his grandparents were from.
After opening with a four-under-par 66, Gordon was thrilled to thrive in such personally significant surroundings.
Will Gordon’s grandparents are from Scotland and moved to the U.S. in 1957.
In honor of Clan Gordon, Will has a tattoo of their creed, which means “stay and fight.”
This week is his first time in Scotland as he currently sits T9 @ScottishOpen. pic.twitter.com/OCGWoeMxIS
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 13, 2023
Gordon said: “My grandparents grew up in Glasgow and emigrated in 1960. I always wanted to come here and never got the chance to, so I’m excited to now be here and see the shots my grandpa, Jack, always talked about.
“I’ve got a family crest tattooed on my forearm. It says ‘Bydand’ – it means stay and fight.
“My grandma didn’t really know what I was talking about when I got it.
“I’ve been to Liverpool and Wales, but never to Scotland. I’m super-excited to be here. I went to Edinburgh and explored the city a little bit.
“The culture is so cool here. The little towns are exciting to explore. I have a little car and have been able to buzz around.”