McIlroy and Stenson struggle at Wentworth

Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy were two of the big names struggling when the BMW PGA Championship began at Wentworth today.

Stenson, winner of the prestigious Players Championship in Florida two weeks ago and the event’s top-ranked player at fourth in the world, slumped to five-over-par after only eight holes and was in last place.

And McIlroy, also double-bogeying the 465-yard third, turned in a two-over 37, while his fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who quit last week’s Irish Open with shin splints a day after breaking the County Louth course record with a dazzling 61, finished the half dropping two shots on the eighth and another at the next to stand three-over.

That put him six behind early pacesetter Anthony Wall, the Londoner picking up birdies at the fourth, eighth, 11th and 12th, but also bogeying the ninth.

Wall led by a shot from Swede Robert Karlsson, last season’s European number one, Spaniard Alejandro Canizares and Cheshire’s David Horsey, making his debut in the £4m (€4.53m) flagship event after winning last year’s Challenge Tour.

South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen were both one-over after seven and eight respectively and Colin Montgomerie was on the same mark.

Europe’s Ryder Cup captain used to consider himself one-up on the first tee of the West Course because he knew it so well and had such a good record – he won the title three times in a row from 1998 – but he was relieved not to kick off his week with a double bogey.

After pulling his drive, his approach found the bunker short of the green and from there he only just got out and had to chip close to rescue a five.

Six successive pars followed that as he tried to hit back from his closing 80 at the Irish Open on Sunday – a round that means he has to play in Monday’s 36-hole qualifier for the US Open at Walton Heath.

Robert Rock had the day’s first birdie on the first, a massive drive rolling down the slope and leaving him only a short-iron second, and he remained one under after six.

The 32-year-old is trying again for a first European Tour win four days after losing a play-off for the Irish title to amateur Shane Lowry.

Rock had a nine-foot putt on the first extra hole to triumph, but his bogey six two holes later led to wild scenes.

Lowry is not at Wentworth, but was expected to announce his decision to turn professional at a Dublin hotel this afternoon.