Lee Westwood has called for the greens on the 2014 Ryder Cup course at Gleneagles to be ripped up.
The former European number one had just opened the Johnnie Walker Championship, final qualifying event for next month's match against the Americans, with a one under par 72.
With Frenchman Gregory Havret setting the pace with a 68 - he leads by two - Westwood's effort has far from ruined his hopes of victory on Sunday.
But, already safely into Nick Faldo's side himself, he feels sympathy for those still battling for inclusion and having to do so on what he clearly considers greens from Hell.
And this in such a heavenly part of the world.
"I said last year that the greens were awful and something needed to be done," he stated after a round which included a four-putt double bogey at the 461-yard fifth.
The second of those was from less than two feet and he added: "I'm not a bad putter and I can't remember the last time I three-putted from 18 inches.
"At the end of the week unfortunately the tournament could be won or lost by luck on the greens."
And so, of course, could somebody's Ryder Cup fate.
"They are the people I feel really sorry for. There is a lot riding on that.
"They are going to be feeling pressure as it is and you don't want to be standing over a three-footer with so much doubt in your mind not knowing if the ball is going to run straight."
Heavy recent rain has softened the surfaces, but he added: "You can't bring the Ryder Cup onto greens like this. Hopefully they will rip them up and re-do them.
"Hopefully they won't use the same designer who had two goes at doing the seventh. I think my kids could come up with a better design than that in one afternoon."
Playing with Westwood was Mansfield's Oliver Wilson, in the 10th and last automatic qualifying spot entering the week and under threat from Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty.
Wilson, also double-bogeying the fifth, managed only a three over 76, but so did Kaymer after losing a ball at the 320-yard 14th and taking six there.
Fisher did better with a 72, but he has to finish third to have a chance, while Dougherty, who needs first or second place, battled away for a 73.
"Must do better," Wilson commented. "The greens are not overly smooth, but I felt I was a little bit unlucky - every time I hit it in the rough I got a bad lie.
"I don't think I've blown myself out of it. I could have done, but I didn't."
Dougherty, who like Kaymer has had the trauma of losing his mother in the past few months, admits he is mentally exhausted.
"Even if someone has to cart me into the car on Sunday and I've done all I can I can be pleased and proud of myself."
Justin Rose and Soren Hansen are not yet safe at eighth and ninth on the points table, but by scoring level par and two under respectively they have no cause to lose any sleep yet.
For Darren Clarke, Colin Montgomerie and Paul McGinley, meanwhile, the task is to try to impress Faldo enough to hand them one of his two wild cards.
Some suspect that the reason Paul Casey and Ian Poulter have stayed in the States is that they are the favoured pair, but that is out of the control of the three home-based stars.
Clarke, winner in Holland on Sunday, was satisfied with a 72 and Montgomerie said a 74 "by no means" put him out of things, but McGinley could do no better than 76.
Montgomerie always acts as tournament chairman this week - he is the expected European captain in six years' time - and when asked about the greens stated: "We will have to look at it.
"We've had an awful lot of rain. They had to close the (practice) range a couple of times last week."
As for Havret, he is looking for a Tartan double after beating Phil Mickelson in a play-off for last year's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.
Six birdies, three of them in a row from the fourth, was a fine way to return after five weeks off enjoying the sunshine with his family at home.
Compatriot Christian Cevaer, in-form Scot Gary Orr and England's Paul Broadhurst were sharing second place in the clubhouse.
A joint statement issued by the European Tour and Gleneagles Hotel said greenkeeping staff have "worked diligently" to prepare the course.
"It has been a difficult summer and, specifically, the last three weeks have been extremely challenging with rainfall recorded at 205mm compared to the average total montly figure for August of 86mm.
"A strong agronomy plan has been formulated for the PGA Centenary Course and is still work in progress."
In the last match of the day England's Robert Rock joined Broadhurst, Cevaer and Orr in a share of second place.
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