Swede start made by Dunbar

ALAN DUNBAR stepped up his bid for a place in the Walker Cup team to face the Americans at Aberdeen next month when he fired a splendid opening 68 — four under par — in the European Amateur Individual Championship in Sweden yesterday.

His score compiled over the Halmstad course was bettered only by two players — England’s Steven Browne and Frenchman Gary Stal — in the 144-strong field.

Browne, runner-up in the English Amateur Championship on Saturday had four birdies in the last six holes for a sensational 65 while Stal posted 66.