If it wasn't for a bout of stage fright, world No.218 Miguel Tabuena would have torn up the record books at the World Super 6 Perth golf tournament on Thursday.
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Tabuena produced the hottest of starts at the hybrid event, posting birdies on nine of his first 10 holes to open up a huge lead.
At that stage he looked certain to break the Lake Karrinyup course record of 63 set by James Morrison during the 2014 Perth International.
But as the cameras started scrambling to focus on Tabuena, his game started to wobble.
The birdies dried up, and two bogeys in his final eight holes meant he was forced to settle for a seven-under 65.
It was still enough to give him a share of the first round lead with Norway's Kristoffer Reitan, who posted eight birdies and a bogey in a strong opening round.
But Tabuena couldn't help but wonder what could have been if his hot early form had kept going.
"I started to force shots that I wasn't comfy with," Tabuena said.
"I started to go at pins when I shouldn't have, and the bogey on the par-three (fifth) cost me."
Kiwi Ben Campbell and Englishman Richard McEvoy were equal third at five-under.
Australians Nick Flanagan and Brad Kennedy were among a big group of players at four-under.
Rising star Min Woo Lee and fellow local Jason Scrivener settled for two-under 70s alongside tournament favourite Thomas Pieters.
2006 US Open winner Geoff Ogilvy faces a fight to make the weekend cut after shooting a 76.
World No.55 Tom Lewis - the highest ranked player in the field - finished at one-over.
Flanagan tweaked his back before the recent Vic Open, and the New South Welshman is still managing the injury.
"It got pretty average again the last couple of days," Flanagan said.
"I had some work done here, and just (been) keeping up with the stretches I've been doing.
"Like first thing in the morning it gets really, really tight and I've kind of got to nurse it for 20, 30 minutes.
"I've got to take some anti-inflammatories and then do all these pretzel stretches slowly, because usually when it goes it's from quick movements of rotation."
The first three rounds of the World Super 6 Perth are traditional stroke play.
The top 24 players will then qualify for the last round match-play, which consists of a series of elimination six-hole shootouts.
Australian Associated Press
