He's already tamed this week's US Open host, Chambers Bay, and Grant Forrest turned another major venue into something of a timorous beastie yesterday as he made a purposeful start to his 36-hole qualifying campaign in the 120th Amateur Championship at Carnoustie.
The 21-year-old's five-under 67 over the revered Angus links that has staged seven Open Championships down the decades thrust the former Scottish Amateur champion into the upper echelons of the standings and put him well on course for a top 64 finish that will earn him a place in the knock-out stages of the unpaid game's showpiece.
As the world's top brass prepare to tackle the rigours of Chambers Bay this week, San Diego University student Forrest can already say 'been there, done that' having swept to victory there on the US college circuit last season with rounds of 63, 65 and 72.
Back on home turf yesterday, the Craigielaw member took advantage of the relatively benign conditions at Carnoustie with a robust display. The pick of his seven birdies came on the treacherous 17th where he flew his drive over both sweeps of the Barry Burn before plonking an approach to 25-feet and holing the putt for a three.
A niggling hip injury, picked up during a demanding stretch of events, has been a bit of hindrance for Forrest but a vigorous bout of physio, and all the probing, rummaging, poking and pressing that it entails, seems to have got him swivelling like John Travolta again. Forrest certainly produced some golfing Greased lightning. "They had stretches and rubs, they had elbows in there and they even gave me acupuncture, which I've never had before," said Forrest of the remedy for his aches and pains. "Before that treatment, it was getting sore and I was losing a bit of mobility. It's feeling ok now though. I played well today, and putted very well. I had three 20 to 25-footers and a couple of 15-footers. I didn't miss anything from six-feet, either."
Forrest flourished while a man with the jaunty name of Alfie Plant was in full bloom. The former Kent Amateur champion surged to the top of the standings with a course record seven-under 63 at Panmure during a round that featured four birdies and a brace of eagle twos at the third and the 10th. Another Englishman, Leon Fricker, also made some profitable gains as he reeled off six successive threes - one eagle, three birdies and two pars - on his final six holes at Carnoustie to sit among the pacesetters with a three-under 69.
Bearsden's Ewen Ferguson, the former British Boys' champion, opened his qualifying campaign with a two-under 68 at Panmure that was illuminated with an eagle on the 14th.
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