Early woe for Westwood as McIlroy makes three birdies

Lee Westwood may be no fan of Wentworth’s new closing stretch, but there was something on the first hole he did not like either when he resumed the BMW PGA Championship today.

Bunkered in two on the difficult par four, the world number three immediately indicated that he did not think much of the condition of the sand when he arrived by the green.

Sure enough, his recovery only just made it out and two putts from 30 feet meant a bogey five, which dropped him to level par and six behind surprise overnight leader Danny Willett.

And that became seven when he also bogeyed the 465-yard third.

Rory McIlroy was in the same trap on the first and had complained after his opening 74 that the bunkers were not consistent, but this time he splashed out to within three feet of the flag and, after saving par there, birdied the third.

McIlroy and Luke Donald were putting on a real show for the fans who had arrived early enough to follow them.

The 21-year-old Northern Irishman made it three birdies in a row to get back to level par and when Donald matched the second and third of those he joined Australian left-hander Richard Green in second place.

At two over par, one behind Westwood, McIlroy was still outside the halfway cut mark and it was playing partner Donald who was going far the better.

Three opening pars kept the Ryder Cup star – he missed the last match following wrist surgery – three under and in a tie for seventh spot.

Defending champion Paul Casey was in the bunker on the other side of the first green, which left him a much longer third shot. He left it 18 feet short, but made it to remain one under.

Off to a really good start was Justin Rose. Playing his first European Tour event of the season and not yet exempt for the US Open or Open, Rose was bitterly disappointed with his initial 74, but birdies on the second and fourth lifted him to one over.

Yorkshireman Willett, a team-mate of McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup, was among the later starters, as was Green, but Ryder Cup captain and three-time winner Colin Montgomerie was already back on the course and three pars kept the struggling Scot at two over.