And so it was that the contenders faced a very challenging opening round at Lamlash, just three miles from Brodick but thankfully much higher up and less water logged. A challenging and undulating terrain with plenty of short but tricky par three holes and possibly one of the most stunning settings on the West Coast. The greens were in excellent condition considering the torrential rain of recent weeks. Playing the course for the first time was certainly not easy, and the combination of wind and judging the correct yardage made scoring difficult. Still, we had an impressive opening round from Smith, closely followed by a handful of other contenders. There was still everything to play for.