Will Enefer fired a course record ten under par round of 61 to set a blistering first round pace on day one of the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A.
The Englishman mixed six birdies with two eagles to break the course record at SCHLOSS Roxburghe and move three shots clear of a three-way tie in second.
Starting on the tenth, the 27-year-old picked up a shot on 11 before making an eagle on the signature par five 14th. Two further birdies on 15 and 16 saw Enefer make the turn in just 31 shots.
A birdie on the first along with another eagle on the par five fifth saw the Englishman move into the lead before back-to-back gains on eight and nine saw him close out his opening round in style.
“It was a good day,” he said. “I worked my way into the round and started to build some momentum and hit some good shots towards the end of the first nine.
“I carried that momentum into the back nine and finished really well in some poor conditions. I stuck to my processes and overall, it was a good day.”
Having played Roxburghe’s three par fives in a total of five under par, Enefer admitted he was looking to target the longer holes during Thursday’s play.
“Obviously they are opportunities, and I feel like I can get there in two on all of them. I hit pretty good shots into all three of them,” he added.
“The eagle on the fifth must have been from 70 feet, so it’s one of them where you are trying to lag it up there but luckily it found its way in.”
Enefer arrived in Scotland with two top five finishes to his name on the HotelPlanner Tour in 2025, and is aware a positive performance this week will boost his chances of regaining his DP World Tour card.
“I’ve had some good results this year and played my way into tournaments quite well,” the Englishman said.
“I know where I am in the Rankings, and the goal is to make the Grand Final and earn myself a DP World Tour card like I did in 2023.
“This is probably one of my best starts to a tournament this year, but you have to take what you can from it and take everything hole-by-hole.”
German Marc Hammer, Spaniard Quim Vidal and Scotland’s Daniel Young all sit on seven under par, one shot clear of English duo Joshua Berry and Tom Lewis and Scot Marc Warren who are at six under in fifth.
The second round of the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A gets under way at 7:30am with Enefer teeing off alongside Denmark’s Jonathan Gøth-Rasmussen and Scotland’s Jack McDonald at 9:10am.
