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Scott Jamieson cards flawless opening round to share clubhouse lead at Wentworth

Jamieson shot 67 to lead alongside Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

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Scotland’s Scott Jamieson made the most of ideal conditions to claim a share of the clubhouse lead in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday.

Jamieson, who was in the first group out at 7am, carded five birdies in a flawless opening 67, with Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat joining him on five under after six birdies and one bogey.

“It’s a fantastic start,” Jamieson said. “Any bogey-free round is great and to do it here at Wentworth is even better.”

The West Course at Wentworth underwent a £5million renovation programme just eight days after Chris Wood’s victory last year, with all 18 greens stripped of their old turf and reseeded with a new type of grass.

The greens on the eighth, 11th, 14th and 16th were completely rebuilt and another five – the third, fourth, fifth, 12th and 15th – were partially rebuilt, while a sub-air system as used at Augusta National installed under all 18 greens.

All of the bunkers were redesigned and a total of 29 removed, with a combination of those changes – and no doubt the £5.4m prize fund for the first Rolex Series event – helping to ensure Open champion Henrik Stenson was making just his second appearance in seven years in one of the European Tour’s flagship events.

“I think they have done a fantastic job,” added Jamieson, who narrowly retained his European Tour card in 2015 and 2016. “There’s still a premium on hitting fairways because I don’t think you can hold the greens with a mid-iron from the rough.

“The last two years have been a bit of a struggle for me but it’s been a solid start to this season. I just carried on where I left off last year, because from September on it was really good. I kept my eye in over the winter because I didn’t want to lose any momentum.”

Italy’s Nino Bertasio and England’s Graeme Storm were a shot off the lead on four under, Storm having covered the front nine in 30, just a shot outside the tournament record set last year by Masters champion Danny Willett and equalled by eventual winner Wood.

Another birdie on the 10th then took Storm, who defeated Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win the South African Open in January, to six under par and into a two-shot lead, before a double-bogey on the 11th halted his progress.

Players and caddies were wearing black ribbons as a mark of respect to the victims of the terrorist attack in Manchester on Monday, with a minute’s silence held at 11am.

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