Richard Green claimed the first-round lead at the Scottish Open with a superb 64 that the Australian rated good enough to put him among the world's top 20.
Green arrived at Loch Lomond with a bit of form under his belt after top ten finishes in his previous two outings.
But he revealed that his display in Wednesday's pro-Am had been so off-key it had sent him heading for the practice ground in despair on the eve of the tournament.
Something clicked and the result was six birdies and an eagle in a round that left him a shot ahead of England's Graeme Storm, Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, US-based Scot Martin Laird and Irishman Paul McGinley.
Another Australian, Adam Scott, was a shot further back after a bogey-free 66.
"Not a lot went wrong," Green said. "I hit it excellent tee to green and made some putts."
The highlight of his round came on the long 13th hole, where a drive and 250-yard 3 wood put him in position to hole a sharply breaking eagle putt from 35 feet.
Green broke into the top 30 in the world in 2007 but has slipped down the rankings since then having, by his own admission, allowed three or four winning positions to slip through his fingers.
He currently stands 90th and said: "I spent three or four years around the top 50 and I am just trying to get myself back to that position. Hopefully the way I am playing now is good enough to be top 20.
"There have been a lot of opportunities for me where I've not handled the pressure as well as I would have liked to but the more I put myself there, the more I feel I can do it."
Storm attributed his form to a fitness regime that was triggered by being told he was too fat.
"I went for an assessment and some of the results were not very nice," he recalled. "I had a scan for body fat. I'm not going to tell you what the result was but it was not very good!
"Then obviously you look at the world number one (Tiger Woods) and he is the fittest guy around."
Storm, who won the French Open two years ago but has yet to deliver on the promise he showed as Britain's leading amateur a decade ago, had been aware for some time that his lack of fitness was undermining his chances of success.
As well as wilting in the closing stages of tournaments, he had grown frustrated at seeing the likes of Ernie Els hacking their way out of the rough onto greens from positions in which he would have to lay up short.
"I hooked up with (coach) Pete Cowen after I won the French and he basically said that I needed to get stronger.
"I'm enjoying doing it. I did not think I would because I've never been one for going in the gym but it has been good.
"I've lost about a stone in weight and hopefully there's more muscle there now. I'm getting reassessed after the Open so hopefully the (fat) figures will look a little better."
Lee Westwood, who had been tipped as a leading contender for next week's British Open, struggled to a two-over 73 after a sleepless night caused by a chest infection which will inevitably cast a shadow over his prospects for Turnberry.
"I was stupid to go out, especially with the Open next week," the former European number one admitted before heading off to find a doctor.
Els, twice a winner here but struggling badly this year, offered a hint of a potential return to form with an opening 69, four better than playing partner Colin Montgomerie could manage.
Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy, the pre-tournament favourite, also registered a 69.
Copyright 2009 AFP European Edition
