Glasgow 30-somethings David Dickson and David Sibbald both upset the young guns in the opening round of the Fairstone Scottish Amateur Championship at Muirfield.

Bonnyton member Dickson, 36, dumped in-form Kirkhill ace Craig Ross 3&2 while 30-year-old Eastwood man Sibbald claimed the scalp of new Scottish Boys’ Strokeplay champ Sandy Smith with a two hole win.

Ross, the No 8 seed, arrived in East Lothian on the back of an impressive win over an international field in the prestigious Chiberta Grand Prix in Biarritz.

But the 22-year-old’s hopes of success on home soil were thwarted by full-time joiner Dickson who scored an impressive triumph over a player who won among the professionals on the PGA EuroPro Tour last season.

Dickson, playing in his third Scottish Amateur Championship said: “I knew how good a player Craig is and he’s a nice guy, so I just tried to keep with him and hang in there.”

Sibbald faced a tough test against Scotland boys’ cap Smith but the Deaconsbank greenkeeper upset the form book and edged out his 17-year-old opponent from Nairn after surging into a four hole lead through five.

Elsewhere on the opening day of the domestic amateur showpiece, Williamwood youngster George Burns got his campaign off to a winning start with a 2&1 victory over Scott McGarvey from Glencorse while Haggs Castle duo Glen Burrett and Craig Morrison both overcame the first hurdle.

Cawder’s highly-rated Calum Fyfe was a first round casualty however. Fyfe, runner-up in last week’s Scottish Boys’ Strokeplay Championship, went down 3&2 to Adam Dunton from Aberdeenshire.

Craigielaw’s top seed Grant Forrest, the Scottish champion in 2012 and the runner-up in last month’s Amateur Championship, eased to a 3&2 win over Eyemouth’s Mark Collin while Scotland cap Greig Marchbank underlined his title credentials with a thumping 8&6 rout of Ben Jamieson from St Andrews.

Meanwhile, the successful staging of the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open last weekend could lead to Dundonald Links near Irvine being awarded the men’s Scottish Open.

Martin Gilbert, the chief executive of the tournament sponsors, said: “The Scottish Open is definitely coming to the west. Last weekend was a big test for Dundonald and we were delighted with it.”