Dunbar turns on style
Two former amateur stars, Alan Dunbar and Korea’s Byeong-hun An put on a world-class display at the Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts as they both carded stunning nine under par rounds of 62 to share the lead after day one.
Dunbar got off to a poor start after teeing off at the 11th, bogeying his opening two holes, but that did not deter the 23-year-old as he fired 11 birdies to smash the course record almost exactly a year after his biggest win as an amateur.
“I was in just the zone,” said Dunbar, whose Amateur Championship win came at Royal Troon in Scotland.
“I’ve been playing well all year now, shooting good scores but missing the cut by a couple of shots. It’s good to put it all together and have a strong round.”
Barely 30 minutes after Dunbar came in with that record-breaking score, the American-based An also signed for a 62. In contrast to Dunbar, An did not card a single bogey as he shot nine birdies on the way to his lowest round as a professional.
“I missed the cut last year but this year I guess it suits me better,” the 21-year-old said.