Soren Hansen, Phil Mickelson, Graeme Storm and Lee Westwood share a four-way tie for the lead after the First Round of the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond -the quartet are all six-under-par.
Nobody watching Graeme Storm playing with Phil Mickelson at Loch Lomond today would have guessed he had lost sleep thinking about it, was as nervous as a kitten on the opening tee - or had worked cleaning trays outside a cream cake factory just four years ago.
Instead they would have seen someone whose career has taken off this month and who with a six under par 65 in the Barclays Scottish Open was matching the world number three every step as they moved into a share of the first round lead with Lee Westwood and Soren Hansen.
Thrust into the limelight by his French Open victory on July 1 - before it happened he was 203 places below Mickelson in the world rankings - Storm said: ‘Even though I've been playing well I didn't want to embarrass myself.
‘I didn't get much sleep, but it was awesome. He was quite interested to find out where I was from, we were talking about football and he was just telling me different stories.
‘I hit a good first tee shot, a good second and I calmed down straightaway.’
There was not a single bogey on his card and when he made a 35-foot putt for a closing birdie, his sixth of the round, Mickelson needed to hole his four-footer to be joint leader.
The American did just that and soon it became a three-way tie at the top when Hansen, the Dane pushed into second place in Paris and who led last week's European Open in Ireland with a round to play, completed yet another impressive round.
Then, late in the afternoon, Westwood continued his recent revival on his return to the course where he won nine years ago.
Mickelson was the only one of the quartet to drop a shot, but after it came on the 415-yard 12th he hit back with a three wood to 15 feet on the 560-yard next and sank the eagle putt.
A birdie at the 14th and four more in the last six holes when they switched to the front nine made it a highly satisfactory day's work for the left-hander, especially considering the Open at Carnoustie is only a week away and he missed the halfway cut in his last two tournaments.
The left wrist he injured practising for the US Open has had a new diagnosis and it has made Mickelson confident about his chances.
He said: ‘After I missed the cut last Friday I went to see a hand and wrist specialist. My initial diagnosis was that I had a sprained joint and that the inflammation was causing the pain.
‘If that was the case a cortisone shot would have helped, but it didn't. He said he noticed a bruised bone and that I had inflammation inside the pores and that was what was causing the problem.
‘When I found that out I realised that it was not going to get any worse, so although it might hurt I'm not afraid to go in after those shots now because I know that I'm not doing more damage.
‘It stings, like when you have a hairline fracture and then somebody flicks it, but if it's not doing any damage I'm okay.’
Storm, meanwhile, puts his sudden rise down to a simple case of believing in himself more.
The 29-year-old from Hartlepool, British amateur champion eight years ago, has tried sports psychologists and describes it as ‘not really my thing’ and does not put himself among those who have broken through in recent years after cutting out the partying.
He commented: ‘The days of the drinking culture 10-15 years ago when they all enjoyed themselves more than maybe dedicated themselves are gone.
‘In 2001 when I first came out it was fun to have a couple of drinks on a Tuesday night and then you wake up with a little bit of a bad head and you can't practise properly, but I'd say I'm as dedicated as anybody.’
Even though he has missed chances to win the last two weeks - and is left with just one last chance this week to earn a place in the Open - Hansen is taking the positives.
The 33-year-old, who now stands 21st and could go third by capturing the £500,000 first prize on Sunday on Sunday said: ‘You have to remember that a month ago I was 124th on the Order of Merit.
Westwood had his first win for four years in Spain in May, but poor putting since led him to a Birmingham ‘laboratory’ last week where his stroke was analysed and then changed.
After the boost of two birdies straightaway he did not waste the opportunity.
At three under after five Colin Montgomerie, who following his European Open triumph on Sunday is eyeing top spot on the money list going to Carnoustie, was picking up where he left off, but bogeys at the 10th and 12th took some of the wind out of the Scot's sails and in the end he signed (after calling playing partner Ian Poulter back into the scorer's hut, presumably to amend a mistake on the card) for a 69.
Ernie Els shot 69, Luke Donald 70 and US Open champion Angel Cabrera, Darren Clarke and Sergio Garcia all 71s, but 1997 champion Tom Lehman struggled to a five-over 76 and Pablo Martin, making his European debut as a professional three months after becoming the circuit's first amateur winner, a 75.
Late in the day England's Sam Walker joined the leaders on six under, but then double-bogeyed the 15th for a 67.
The Irish challenge is a little further back from the summit leaders. Peter Lawrie and Paul McGinley were the best of the day, both finishing three shots off the pace on three-under-par.
