Three players are tied at the top after day one at the Open Blue Green Côtes d’Armor Bretagne as Alan Dunbar, Moritz Lampert and Jamie McLeary all fired four under par rounds of 66 to lead in France.
After a four hour fog delay at Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André, the leading trio came out firing to lead by one after 18 holes, with half of the field still to finish their first round.
It is a fine start for the former British Amateur Champion who has only been a professional for four months, and has had mixed fortunes so far, splitting his time between both the Challenge and European Tours in 2013.
“I’m not sure why I’ve played better on The European Tour this year,” explained Dunbar. “I’ve played well on this Tour too, but the cuts I have missed have only been by a shot. I’ve been playing well all year, just not getting the breaks, and I had a nice run there in July on the main Tour, but it is just about getting those breaks, and hopefully I can finish the season on a high.
“The standard at the top is very similar, and I’ve only been a pro for four months, so I hope this is just the start of a long career. I was a bit more aggressive today off a few tees, and I think that is what I have struggled with when only missing the cut by a shot, being a bit too negative, and being more aggressive today seemed to work.”
Another man who has tasted amateur success is Lampert, winning national championships in France, Germany and Portugal during an illustrious career that also saw him feature in The Junior Ryder Cup in 2010.
The German, like Dunbar, has played on both Tours this season having earned his European Tour card at last year’s Qualifying School Final Stage, and he is alongside Scotland’s McLeary, himself once a top ranked amateur, on four under par.
Just a shot adrift in France is former US Amateur Champion Byeong-hun An alongside this season’s Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge winner Brinson Paolini, who was himself a decorated college golfer at home in America.
On the same score is one of two leading Frenchman, Victor Riu, who won for the first time earlier in the year at the Karnten Golf Open presented by Mazda. He is alongside compatriot, and three time Challenge Tour winner, Benjamin Hebert in a tie for fourth so far.