The trio is in a share of 23rd place after carding rounds of two under par 71 to be six shots back from the leader South African Hayden Porteous (65).

McCall, the first golfer to win both the NZ Stroke Play and NZ Amateur in 24 years, backed up his runner-up finish last week at the Wales Amateur Stroke Play with five birdies and three bogeys.

Former New Zealand rep Daniel Pearce had an eventful first round that included an eagle, four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, while Bay of Plenty rep Hamilton made four birdies and two bogeys to match McCall and Pearce on that number.

Another rep from the Bay Sam Davis shot a one over par 72 to be in a share of 46th place.

New Zealand reps Ben Campbell and Blair Riordan, who both played in the NZ team which won the Sloan Morpeth Trophy, are off the pace with round of 75 and 78 respectively.

The six New Zealand amateurs playing in Scotland are looking for good performances to press their claims for the NZ team to contest the Eisenhower World Team’s Championship in Turkey in September.

Carrick Neill Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship First Round Leaderboard:
65 Hayden Porteous (SAF)
67 Brett Drewitt (AUS), Clement Berardo (FRA), Adrien Monnier (FRA)
68 Ross Bell (Downfield), Charlie Macneal (Troon), Greig Marchbank (Dumfries and County)
69 Paul Lockwood (Hessle), Antonie Schwartz (FRA), Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs), Rory Bourke (AUS), Matthew Daley (Hainsworth Park) Nicolas Tacher (FRA), Lionel Weber (FRA)
70 Jamie Savage (Cawder) Scott Borrowman (Dollar), Scott Stewart-Cation (The Dukes), Luke Humphries (AUS) Paul Barjon (FRA), Kristopher Gray (Northumberland), Philipp Muller (GER), Ewan Scott (St Andrews)
71 Glenn Campbell (Blairgowrie) Craig Hamilton (Ballochmyle), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn) Vaughan McCall (NZL), Jordan Zunic (AUS), Jordan McColl (Scotscraig), Craig Hamilton (NZL), Olafur Loftsson (ICE), Michael Smyth (Royal Troon), Riccardo Michelini (ITA), Clement Batut (FRA), Yannick Bludau (GER), Harry Casey (Enfield) Nick MacAndrew (Royal Aberdeen), Grant Forrest (Craigielaw) Matthew Stieger (AUS), Curtis Griffiths (Wentworth), Adam Dunton (McDonald), Paul Howard (Southport & Ainsdale), Fraser Moore (Glenbervie) Arnaud Abbas (FRA,) Daniel Pearce (NZL), Kyle McClung (Wigtownshire)
Also:
72 Sam Davis (NZL)
75 Ben Campbell (NZL)
78 Blair Riordan (NZL)