Castle Stuart Golf Links provided one of the ultimate tests of golf as just two sub-70 rounds were recorded on a wild and windy first day of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
The last time the event was played here in 2013, 67 players broke 70 in round one, but that feat was only achieved by Felipe Aguilar and Scott Hend on Thursday as very strong winds made conditions more difficult for the afternoon starters.
The duo both shot three under par rounds of 69 to share the first round lead but there was an intimidating and tight chasing pack behind them.
Two-time Open Championship winner Padraig Harrington, former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, former US PGA Championship winner YE Yang and three-time 2015 winner Andy Sullivan were all in the group just a shot off the lead.
Branden Grace, Luke Donald and Rafa Cabrera Bello were then among those two back with just 20 players under par.
Aguilar missed six cuts in a row after the turn of the year as he admitted he struggled to recover from taking part in an Iron Man triathlon but a second-placed finish at the Volvo China Open represented an upturn in form.
Hend, meanwhile, claimed a win at the True Thailand Classic Presented by Chang in March and has three other top tens this season.
The Australian started on the tenth and turned in 35 with three birdies and two bogeys but he holed his pitch to the par five second for an eagle and then parred his way home.
Hend discovered last week that he has a place in next week's Open Championship and while he admitted conditions were difficult, he was relishing the challenge provided by links golf.
"Obviously conditions were quite tough and it was a little bit scrappy with some putts not quite getting to the hole but overall I'm very happy," he said.
"It's awesome fun. It's awesome. Doesn't matter how hard it is. When you play links golf, it's just awesome. It's great.
I love it. I love it. It beats your head in, kicks you around, and sometimes you get it back. It's just great. Great fun. It's exciting - Scott Hend
Aguilar birdied the second, fourth and eighth before dropping a shot on the ninth and picked up further shots on the 12th and 16th. He left himself a long way from the hole on the last, though, and needed three putts to sign for a closing bogey.
"It was very difficult golf today," he said. "Really windy after the second hole.
"You have to be really patient out here, but this is just the first day. The course is playing really difficult. You have some holes that you can actually reach the green in one but if you miss it on the wrong side, it's not very easy to make an up and down from there.
"We didn't make too many mistakes except for two bogeys on nine and 18 but you're going to make some bogeys out here. You have to make sure you make some birdies, also."
Yang and Tyrrell Hatton had both been at four under at one point but the South Korean finished bogey-bogey while Hatton dropped shots on the 14th and 17th to drop into the large group at two under.
Hatton's fellow Englishmen Richard Bland, Eddie Pepperell and Sullivan were also at that mark alongside Northern Irishman McDowell, Swede Alex Noren and Harrington
Grace, Cabrera-Bello, Donald, Bradley Dredge, Mikko Ilonen, Craig Lee, Alexander Levy, Richard Sterne, Matteo Manassero and Danny Lee were then at one under.
