Heavy and prolonged rain yesterday brought a change to the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles for the start of the Johnnie Walker Championship today. The 12th hole had its tee moved forward 165 yards because of the condition of the fairway.

That made it a driveable par four - after last year’s event and with the 2014 Ryder Cup in mind the hole was reduced from a 503-yard par five to a 445-yard par four - and in the very first group of the day big-hitting Italian Emanuele Canonica hit his tee shot to 25 feet and made the eagle putt.

Canonica had started his round with a bogey four on the 10th, however, and by dropping another shot at the 13th he returned to level par.

Australia’s Wade Ormsby set the early pace having reached the turn in just 32 blows (four under) and leads by one from Pablo Larrazabal. Gareth Maybin is the only Irish player among the early starters but was struggling on three over after just five holes.