Shane Winstone,(Picture © Tom Ward) who has already made his mark in the English Amateur Championship, carded a record 64 at Royal Cinque Ports to lead the first day qualifiers.
The 20 year old from Bristol had nine birdies on his card to trim two strokes off the previous record which was equalled by Ben Evans earlier in the day.
"I didn’t know it was a record until I was coming down the last when a local member told me a par would be enough," he said.
"The whole point over the first two days is to qualify and I’ve just got to go out and do the same tomorrow when I’m out at 7.30am," he added. But Royal St George’s will provide a much stiffer test.
Two years ago when the English visited Bromborough in Cheshire, Winstone came close to creating a major upset when he took seed Ross McGowan to the 22nd hole in the last 16.
Unfortunately for the Bristolian, McGowan, last year’s champion and now a professional on the European Tour, holed a long putt to win while Winstone missed from a shorter distance.
Sussex-based Evans, who led for several hours, is in sound form after finishing runner-up in last week’s South of England Stroke Play Championship and the 20 year old from Rye extended that at Deal..
His card contained at outward 32 with four birdies and another at the par-four tenth. His only blemish came with a bogey-five at the 16th but he hit back with an eagle-three at the next in an inward 34.
Another international and Walker Cup prospect Jamie Moul shot 69 at Deal along with Tom Lewis, from Hertfordshire, winner of the recent Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, Shaun Malone from Saffron Walden and Wentworth’s Warren Harmston.
Daniel Willett, runaway winner of last week’s South of England, also went round in 69.
The records apart, another highlight at Deal was a hole-in-one by international John Parry, who holed his seven-iron tee shot at the 152-yard fourth on his way to a fine 70.
Conversely, one of the major surprises was an 82 at Deal by 2005 champion Paul Waring, which leaves him under pressure to qualify.
Although Royal St George’s and Royal Cinque Ports are near neighbours on the Kent coast, they were miles apart in the challenge they presented and the scores reflected that.
While birdies came thick and fast at Deal, they were less plentiful at Royal St George’s with its testing par of 70. Here the best return was two-under-par 68 from England cap David Horsey.
"You couldn’t get much easier conditions here but it is still tough," he said. "You need a lot of concentration and providing you don’t hit too many wild shots you should be O.K."
He had a disappointing start with chances he didn’t convert but a birdie at the short third got his round underway and he added two more birdies and just one dropped shot.
"There are a lot of tough holes out there but it is just about qualifying and it would be nice to qualify number one as I did in the British," he added.
Nicky Harris from Manchester, who runs a car valeting service to fund his golf, returned 69. "I have to be pleased with that," he said. "I had four birdies, three in a row from the sixth, but I don’t want to do what I did in the Amateur Championship.
"Then I shot two under over the tougher Royal Lytham course then did four over at St Anne’s Old Links."
Another England cap, Gary Boyd is on 70 alongside under 21 squad member Adam Wainwright from Lincolnshire and Hertfordshire’s Tom Shadbolt.
One thing is guaranteed, Gary Wolstenholme will not claim the title following his withdrawal with a back injury.
"I tweaked it while practising at Cinque Ports on Saturday and although I do most things, I can’t make a full swing," he said.
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