Graeme McDowell used all of his guile and experience to post an opening 70 on a windy first day of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
The Northern Irishman is a veteran of links golf having been raised playing at Rathmore Golf Club in his homeland and revealed he had got in some valuable practice last week.
The Scottish Open has often served as a warm up for the Open Championship but McDowell has done things the other way around, making two trips to Royal Troon last week before teeing it up at Castle Stuart Golf Links.
The 2008 champion won his title in the non-links setting of Loch Lomond Golf Club but feels he is fully prepared for the test presented both this week and next at the year's third Major Championship.
"I think the two days at Troon were a big help coming into this week," he said. "The wind really blew hard Saturday and Sunday when I was there. I hit a lot of shots controlling my ball flight across the winds and into the wind.
"A good couple of days at Troon really prepared me well and it's nice to get a couple under and get off to a good start.
If it continues to blow like this, this is going to be a grind this weekend. You need to hang in and stay in touch - Graeme McDowell
"I wouldn't be fussy, I'll take a win any one of these two weeks. I'll take competing any one of these two weeks. At the end of the day, every event we play is a big event.
"Yes, the Majors are obviously something a little special, but the Scottish Open is a big event. It would be great for my confidence to play well here this weekend and I'm not fussy where I play well. I just want to try to stay patient. I feel like I'm playing well and just need to hang in there this weekend."
Englishman Andy Sullivan joined McDowell at two under and he was delighted to post anything in red with the high winds.
"I'm just extremely happy with anything under par today. It's a fantastic score," he said.
"I played really well again today but out there with the wind, we're giving it sort of a couple of balls outside right and with the wind it was almost four. It's tough out there, making a calculated decision how much the wind is going to blow."
Two-time Open Championship winner Padraig Harrington produced the pick of the afternoon rounds with his 70 as the winds got even stronger but the Irishman admitted he relished the tough conditions.
"I played nicely," he said.
I wish I played every tournament round of golf in these sort of conditions - Padraig Harrington
"It was tough. It required your attention out there. But it seemed very playable in the sense of the golf course is designed to play in it.
"I'm actually playing very well. In my physical game, I've certainly turned a corner. My putting, I've turned the corner. Mentally, I still have some demons up there, but even if I was badly, I would go out there and do okay in those sort of conditions. Those are my conditions."
