British amateur champion Michael Hoey, whose one previous appearance on the European tour saw him returns scores of 87 and 80, finished the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond today with a brilliant 64.
And it threatened to be even better for the 22-year-old from Shandon Park in Belfast after he birdied seven of the first nine holes for an outward 29 - the first time he had achieved that in his life.
Hoey, who this week makes his British Open debut, added another birdie on the 345-yard 13th, but bogeyed the difficult 16th to close on the seven under par total of 277.
Winner of the Amateur title at Prestwick last month, Hoey was thrilled by his round - especially as it came with New Zealander Michael Campbell as his partner.
"I've worshipped him my whole life," he said. "I watched him on TV and thought he had the perfect swing."
He outscored Campbell by nine. "After five birdies in the first six I applied some psychology. You think you can keep going if you stay out of your way.
"But the back nine is difficult and level par is pretty good for it."
His 87-80 for a 25 over par aggregate was at the 1998 Irish Open.
It took a European tour official to come up with the scores from that event because Hoey himself said: "I'm not telling you. I wasn't ready.
"Winning the Amateur has helped me. I'm used to crowds now."
Next month he represents Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup in Georgia and next April he will be back in the same state for the US Masters.
The Open at Lytham is the immediate target, though. - PA