Critical Bjorn makes uncertain start

Thomas Bjorn switched from criticising those who are not at Wentworth to trying to make his own presence felt when the BMW Championship began this morning.

But the Dane, winner of the British Masters two weeks ago after a play-off with David Howell and Brian Davis, did not have the best of starts, bogeying the short second to fall four behind South African Charl Schwartzel.

Playing with Bjorn, Ernie Els was off and running with two pars, but the third member of the group, Ryder Cup man Paul Casey, bogeyed the first.

Of last September’s team in Detroit Sergio Garcia and non-playing captain Bernhard Langer are the two who are missing this week.

Bjorn said: “I think any European-born player should play in this golf tournament. The European tour has done a lot for them in their golf career and for them one week a year to come back and play this golf tournament should be their duty.”

Bjorn, a member of the tour’s tournament committee and an assistant to Langer against the Americans, added that anyone absent – Justin Rose and Phillip Price are others – should not expect any favours when it comes to Ryder Cup selection in the future.

“The Ryder Cup team is about what this tour has done for the Ryder Cup. Don’t expect any favours when it comes to the Ryder Cup if you can’t come back once every year and play in this golf tournament because this is our biggest golf tournament.

“This tour is here to stay and you’re either part of it or you’re not. It’s as simple as that. If you’re part of it you come here and play. If you don’t show any interest well don’t expect the tour and the rest of the players that play on this tour to show any interest in them.

“The guys that come back every blue moon and think they can start changing the tour around well we don’t need them. The tour is bigger than any player.”

Luke Donald, who has returned from the United States for his first event in Europe this season, bogeyed the second like Bjorn, while Davis double-bogeyed it.

Schwartzel’s birdies at the first, second and fourth put him two ahead of a group which included Lee Westwood, who has missed the halfway cut in the event the last four years.

Colin Montgomerie, needing a good performance to climb into the world’s top 50 and qualify for next month’s US Open, parred the first two holes, as did playing partner Nick Faldo.

Schwartzel was caught in dramatic fashion by Dubliner Peter Lawrie, who sank a 124-yard pitch to the eighth for an eagle two, but the 20-year-old from Johannesburg had his fourth birdie at the sixth.

His lead then became two as Lawrie bogeyed the ninth to fall back alongside former Open champion Paul Lawrie ad Australian left-hander Nick O’Hern, who both birdied the first two.

Mansfield’s Greg Owen, like Donald back from the States, was keen to bring his form with him, but instead a triple bogey seven went on his card straight away.