Treat for the early birds

GOLF fans could be in for an early-morning treat at Wentworth today - after seven of the eight first round games in the HSBC World Match Play championship failed to finish before darkness on the opening day.

A two-and-a-half-hour rain delay at the start of the race for the sport’s biggest prize - €1,450,000 - meant only Retief Goosen earned a quarter-final place on day one. And he had to break the tournament record to do that, thrashing American Jeff Maggert by a 12 and 11 margin.

Defending champion Ernie Els, trying for a record-busting sixth title, is two-up with two to play on Scotland’s Scott Drummond - and relieved to be so handily placed entering the two closing par fives.