A classic layout imposed its own, unique demands in the opening round of the £1.2 million Volvo PGA Championship here on the West Course yesterday. Significantly, Sweden's Michael Jonzon, who emerged as leader with a brilliant 66, was one of only two players from the field of 156, to keep a bogey off their card.

Problems abounded, leading to torment on slick greens and penalty strokes from unplayable lies. But the ultimate grief came to Robert Allenby, who was disqualified after signing for a 69 which should have been two strokes higher.

Padraig Harrington, himself the victim of two, separate penalty strokes, did wonderfully well in returning a two-under-par 70, to head the Irish challenge along with Raymond Burns. Meanwhile, Darren Clarke slipped back to a disappointing 71 from a position of three-under after 10 holes.

But the exploits of Sandy Lyle revived memories for the Wentworth faithful of glorious days before this once-dominant player hit lean times. Like vintage Lyle, his 69 contained two eagles, at the 501-yard fourth which he reduced to a one iron, five iron and 15-foot putt, and at the 18th, where a four-iron approach was despatched from 25-feet, with a broomhandle putter.

Allenby hit his ball onto a line denoting an immovable obstruction on the 15th hole and then used an incorrect relief procedure causing the ball to drop a few inches out of place. The incident was noted by spectators who informed a referee about 40 minutes after the Australian had completed his round.

In the event, the 26-year-old was judged to have been in breach of Rule 24-2b, covering relief from an immovable obstruction. And since he hadn't added the two penalty strokes before signing his card, he was disqualified. He suffered the same fate on two previous occasions, at the French Opens of 1995 1997.

Meanwhile, Jonzon spoke for his colleagues when he said: "It's a mental game in which there's such a small difference between good scores and mediocre ones." Maybe that explains why the winner of last year's Portuguese Open has missed seven out of 10 cuts so far this season.

On this occasion, he was rewarded for playing by Wentworth's rules insofar as the best part of his game was off the tee. And by hitting all but two fairways, he not only avoided bogeys, but went on to card six birdies with putts ranging up to a 16footer at the short second.

Thomas Bjorn also kept a bogey off his card. Indeed, the gifted Dane carded 15 straight pars before shooting birdies at the 16th and 17th on the way to a solid 70. In sharp contrast, the veteran Mark McNulty opened his round with four straight birdies, only to destroy a potentially brilliant card with a seven at the 18th, where he blocked his drive into trees to finish with a 69.

It was that sort of day on an unforgiving course, where frustration was never far away. "When Colin misses a putt, he lets you know," remarked Ernie Els about playing partner Colin Montgomerie.

For his part, the South African did little wrong, on or off the greens, on the way to a 69. In fact, he had the satisfaction of hitting one of the finest shots of the day, a two-iron approach of 236 yards which came to rest two feet from the pin at the 510-yard 12th for a glorious eagle.

Tom Watson always claimed that good putting was the prerequisite of successful scrambling. So, given the amount of trouble that Harrington encountered from tee to green, it was hardly surprising that he used the putter only 25 times. Here was scrambling of the highest order.

"I couldn't have expected good rhythm, given the work I had to do earlier this week to correct a tilt in my swing," he said afterwards. In the event he hit only seven fairways; had a penalty drop from a drain at the seventh; another from trees at the 12th and holed a 12-yard bunker shot for a birdie at the short fifth.

But he could hardly have finished more impressively. Bunkered to the right front of the 18th green and 25 yards from the pin, he hit a truly magnificent recovery to within a foot of the target for a birdie four.

Burns carded five birdies but, for a welcome change, managed to keep a double-bogey off his card. "I controlled my emotions well and succeeded in not doing anything really stupid," he said afterwards. The basis of his score was laid in three birdies in four holes starting with a simple, two-putt four at the long fourth.

On last weekend's form, however, Clarke remained the best prospect of a first Irish success in this event, since Harry Bradshaw won at Llandudno back in 1958.