ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP DAY 1

 OLLY WILSON EQUALS CARNOUSTIE 

   RECORD WITH A 64

"I can play this course with my eyes shut" - leader Oliver Wilson during his 64 at Carnoustie     today. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c).

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
Oliver Wilson repeated his first-round heroics of 2013 in the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a brilliant, record-equalling 64 at Carnoustie to establish a one-stroke lead over Raphaël Jacquelin.

The only other players who have scored that low at the Angus venue previously are@

Alan Tait - 1994; Colin Montgomerie - 1995; Steve Stricker and Richard Green - 2007; Thomas Levet, Shane Lowry - 2014

Wilson, a Ryder Cup player in 2008, has struggled with his game since losing his tour card in 2011 but his performance over one of the world’s fiercest tests of golf gave evidence of a man on a mission to return to the game’s highest level.
Three-time Major Champion and double Dunhill Links Champion Padraig Harrington and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry are two strokes off the lead after rounds of 66 at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns respectively, while the four European Ryder Cup heroes from Gleneagles in the field enjoyed mixed fortunes at Carnoustie in the unique pro-am competition played over three of the world’s most iconic links venues in the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Stephen Gallacher made the best start of the Gleneagles stars with a four under 68.  
Victor Dubuisson posted a 71 while World Number One Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer struggled to respective scores of 73 and 74.
Their Ryder Cup Captain, Paul McGinley, meanwhile posted a level par 72 at Carnoustie.

Key Player Quotes

Oliver Wilson: “It's nice to just get out there and take advantage.  Looking at the forecast, getting Carnoustie out of the way is theoretically the best thing, but you've still got to go and play and shoot a good score to take advantage of it, and I'm delighted that I have.
“It's been a while since I played like that, but I want to be back there, definitely, and it's inspiring to watch The Ryder Cup. The boys played awesome last week.  You look at the team, they are so strong now, got so many big, big names, big players in there.
“It will be tough to get back in there, but for me, you watch it and then you come and play a tournament like this, which is fantastic.  The Dunhill Links is always one of the best tournaments of the year.  I'm obviously grateful to be here, but just trying to work on my own game to try to get a chance to get back on that team.”
Padraig Harington: “Every week is a new week on Tour. I certainly enjoyed last week, and I particularly enjoyed Sunday night. You know, maybe my preparation wasn't ideal coming in here on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, but I know the golf courses well, so it wasn't a golf course that I didn't have to play a lot before I got into the tournament to play here.  I'm comfortable on them.
“I really like the Dunhill Links.  I play with the same partner every year and we get along great and work hard as a team but we also enjoy it a lot. I was playing with Monty today and we had good fun, we always do on the golf course.  It certainly one of the most social events of the year and one of the most enjoyable events.”
Stephen Gallacher: “I played lovely, just a wee bit tired at the end but happy. I didn’t play any holes in practice. I thought the best preparation for this was just to go to my bed early for three nights given how draining it was last week. So I did nothing really.”
Rory McIlroy: “I was a little flat if I'm honest.  Obviously you know with the crowds and everything that we were playing in front of last week to come back here, obviously seems a little quiet out there.  
"But it was good fun to get to play with my dad.  It was a nice round of golf.  Wish I had played a little bit better and made a few more birdies, but hopefully that will happen over the next couple of days.”

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

FIRST-ROUND SCOREBOARD IN BRIEF
64 O Wilson (England)
65 R Jacquelin (France)
66 P Harrington (Ireland), S Lowry (Ireland)
67 R Evans (England), R Rock (England), J McLeary (Scotland), E De La Riva (Spain), A Otaegui (Spain), G Bourdy (France)

OTHER SCOTS' SCORES
68 S Gallacher (T11)
69 R Ramsay, P Lawrie (T18)
70 S Jamieson, C Doak (T28)
71 D Drysdale, C Lee, S Lyle (T40)
72 C Montgomerie (T70)
73 M Warren (T97)
74 P Whiteford (T121)

TO CHECK OUT WHICH COURSES THEY WERE PLAYING AND THEIR SCORECARDS

CLICK HERE