Home birdie Els leads after sparkling 64

ERNIE ELS made himself firmly at home when he shot a stunning eight-under 64 to take the first round lead of the PGA Championship.

It put the 34-year-old one shot clear of Spain's Miguel Angel Jiminez and Wales' Stephen Dodd and two ahead of Vijay Singh.

Els, the world number three, whose home backs on to the Wentworth course, played near flawless golf as he chased the one major European trophy missing from his cabinet.

"I'd just love to win the tournament. I've come close a couple of times. I love playing here, my home course. Obviously I know it very well so I'm hoping for good stuff this week," said Els on the eve of the tournament.

His wishes were granted when he went out in four-under 31 and the South African had no intention of letting up. A birdie on the last saw him come home in four-under.

"I had a nice start," said Els. "I birdied two and three. To do it that early in the morning wakes you up."

Els was further woken up when he pitched in from 35 feet on the par four eighth.

"I got up and down when I had to and gave myself a lot of opportunities," he said.

Playing partners Paul Casey and defending champion Ignacio Garrido were also playing sparkling golf but neither of them could keep up with Els.

Casey finished with a four-under 68 when he bogeyed the last hole and Garrido was five-under.

Jimenez, already a three-time winner this season, looked poised to overtake Els when he fired a five-under 30 but then cooled coming home, only picking up two birdies.

"In the first nine I hit the ball very solid but on the back nine I did not hit it as well," said the Spaniard.

Singh began slowly, going two-under after nine but then picked up the pace to pick up four more birdies.

He closed birdie-birdie despite failing to find the fairway off the tee both times.

"I'm pleased with the six under," said Singh.

"I wasn't worried about Ernie when I teed off. My aim was just to hang in there, shoot three or five under," he explained.

Darren Clarke turned what looked to be a nightmare round given the conditions when he reached the 11th tee two-over par.

Then the Irishman went on a birdie blitz that saw him pick up six shots in the last seven holes and put him only four behind Els.

Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell has shelved plans to contest a US Open qualifier next month and instead intends remaining in Europe to focus on July' s British Open Championship.

McDowell earned his place in the British Open after securing the third and last spot off a mini money list in place from the start of the season and up to the close of play last week in Heidelberg.