Back on home soil for the first time in four long years, Ryan Ruffels has gone on a remarkable record-setting spree on day one of the Vic Open at 13th Beach.
The former teen prodigy carded a sizzling 11-under 61 to hold a two-shot lead midway through Thursday's opening round.
It equalled The Creek course record held by Jake McLeod and marked the first time the 24-year-old Ruffels had shot 11-under at a professional event.
He had successive eagles on the 16th and 17th to come home in a scorching 7-under 29.
And his playing partners Elvis Smylie and Nathan Barbieri lost little in comparison, both signing for 7-under 65s.
It is understood to be the first time in Australasian Tour history that a group has shot a combined score of 25 under.
"We just all got into a good rhythm quite early," said Ruffels.
"Barbs started off really well, Elvis rattled a few off in a row, then I had my turn for a little bit and we all closed shop pretty well together.
"Feeding off each other is a weird one, I don't know if there's anything to it, but it certainly happened today."
Ruffels and Smylie have known each other since their pre-school years, although the original connection was through tennis rather than golf.
"I remember being with Elvis at the Queensland event prior to the Aussie Open tennis because both our parents were professional tennis players so we used to hang out," said Ruffels, the son of Ray and AnnaMaria Ruffels.
Ruffels shot to prominence as the 2014 world junior champion and first finished in the top 30 at the Australian Open as a 15-year-old.
He has spent the last three years on the secondary Korn Ferry Tour in the US and - mostly due to COVID-19 travel restrictions - has not been in Australia until now since early 2019.
"I knew I was improving," he said.
"I've worked very hard on my mental game, just becoming a better person before a better golfer and I think that's helped a lot.
"I'm relaxed being back home in Australia, being around a lot of the boys I grew up with.
"I want to also show them that I can still play."
Deyen Lawson was in outright second place at nine-under 63, a shot clear of fellow Australians Gavin Fairfax and amateur Jack Buchanan, with Smylie and Barbieri in the group tied for fifth.
Brett Rumford, Matthew Griffin and Mathew Goggin were among the prominent afternoon starters on Thursday at 13th Beach.
