Nigel Edwards gave an inspired performance to fire Wales into contention for the World Amateur team title for the Eisenhower Trophy in Adelaide yesterday.

The 40-year-old four-times Walker Cup player returned a superb three under par 69 on the Grange course to help Wales into a share of fourth place after day one.

With two of the three cards counting Wales posted a first day total of 139,just three strokes adrift of joint leaders America and Scotland.

Cornwall-based Rhys Enoch was round in 70 and Welsh champion Ben Westgate took 72.

Edwards, playing in his fourth Eisenhower Trophy contest, started at the 10th and covered his first nine in one under par and then birdied the long first after a super four iron second shot. Further birdies followed at the 4th and 8th.

“It was a dream start,” he said. “You can’t win the tournament on the first day but can play oneself out of contention. I could have been a couple of shots better today.”

Enoch said: “I am relatively pleased but there were a lot of silly errors out there” while Westgate missed three fairways and three greens.