World Number One George Groves and fellow Englishman Mike Browne shared the lead as the European Tour broke new ground on day one of the inaugural EDGA Scottish Open.
Played alongside the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, the 36 hole event features ten players from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability taking each other on over the same Renaissance Club layout the European Tour field are tackling in the third Rolex Series event of the season.
The event is the first of two disability championships scheduled alongside Rolex Series events on the 2019 Race to Dubai, with the 36 hole EDGA Dubai Finale due to feature as part of the season DP World Tour Championship, Dubai at Jumeirah Golf Estates in November.
Groves - who has a a paralysis of the left arm called Erbs Plasy - finished at three over alongside World Number Five Browne, a former Royal Artillery Gunner who had his leg amputated after a training exercise.
Groves was under par after three birdies in his first seven holes but slipped back, while Browne also had three birdies in his 74.
Irishman Brendan Lawlor - winner of the G-GOLF Knockout at the Belgian Knockout - was three shots back alongside American Christopher Biggins after both men made a birdie and seven bogeys.
Australian Shane Luke - a regular competitor in able-bodied events since an amputation due to bone cancer - was at 11 over, a shot ahead of Swede Joakim Björkman.
Belgium's Adem Wahbi made two birdies en route to an 85 and finished a shot ahead of local favourite Paul Elisson and Australia's Geoff Nicholas, with South African Reinard Schuhknect at 16 over.
With both the European Tour and EDGA (European Disabled Golf Association) striving to create a lasting legacy through the event, EDGA is offering free golf lessons with professional coaches to spectators with a disability throughout this week's event.
Full Entry List – 2019 EDGA Scottish Open
Category 1 - The leading six available players from the World Rankings for Golfers with Disability (WR4GD) week 20.
George Groves - England
Groves is the current World Number one. George has Erbs Palsy, which is a paralysis of the left arm and is the result of a medical accident at birth.
Brendan Lawlor - Ireland
Lawlor is the World Number three and plays off scratch. Suffering from ellis–van creveld syndrome, a disability characterised by a shorter stature and shorter limbs, he has claimed the All-Ireland titles at both under 16 and senior levels.
Adem Wahbi - Belgium
Wahbi is World Number Six and was born with spastic diplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy. He recently competed in a demonstration at the Belgian Knockout on the European Tour.
Geoff Nicholas - Australia
World Number Nine Nicholas was a Thalidomide child. Geoff overcame the loss of his right leg and in 1992 became a PGA of Australia Tour player. He is one of the most decorated golfers with disability in the world.
Shane Luke - Australia
The World Number Eight, Luke overcame bone cancer and amputation to become a multiple champion golfer. He has been a consistent winner in events for disabled golfers and is a regular competitor in able-bodied events.
Joakim Björkman – Sweden
Björkman is a two time winning European Team Championship player for Sweden. His diagnosis is that of achondroplasia, which means short stature. A thoughtful man, he realises that golf and the golfers who surround him have given his life much more meaning and joy.
Category 2 - The leading home nation player in the WR4GD
Paul Ellison - Scotland
Leading Scottish golfer with a disability Ellison, who has worked at the St Andrews Links for many years, has Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Condition, which makes walking particularly painful.
Category 3 - USGA nominated player
Christopher Biggins USA
US-born Biggins has overcome cerebral palsy to become a PGA of America member, head coach of his club’s junior programme and an accomplished Paralympic skier.
Category 4 - Golf RSA nominated player
Reinard Schuhknecht - South Africa
Schuhknecht lost his right arm at the age of 14. He hit a 378 metre drive when taking part in the Re-Max Long Drive championships in Jamaica and is a three time World One-Arm champion.
Wild Card
Mike Browne – England
Professional Browne is a former Royal Artillery Gunner and is UK based. He broke his leg in a training exercise before infection resulted in an elective amputation. Current World Number Five.
