Days of heavy rain led to officials reducing the length of two of the holes for the start of the BMW Championship at Wentworth today.
The West Course has been lengthened and toughened by Ernie Els since last September's World Match Play, but the 465-yard third was cut by 77 yards because of the saturated state of the fairway and a forward tee was in use on the 418-yard sixth.
Placing of the ball was also being allowed and would remain in operation for at least the first two rounds, while greenkeepers had to do repair work to some of the bunkers after the latest downpour.
At least the rain had stopped when play got under way at 7am, and England's Ian Poulter tentatively holds the early lead on three-under through seven holes. Peter Lawrie made a bright start to be two under after eight while Gary Murphy ans Stephen Hamill are a shot further back in the early stages.
Padraig Harrington was leve throught five, one shot better than Graeme McDowell who had played seven holes. Darren Clarke, Damien McGrane and Brendan McGovern still have to take to the course.
Els himself was among the early starters, teeing off at 8.10am with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn, winner of the Irish Open on Monday. The South African star is a six-time winner on the course, but all of those have come in the Match Play. He is making his 11th attempt to capture the European tour's flagship event - formerly known as the Volvo PGA championship - after finishing second in 1994, 1997 and 1998.
A total of 30 bunkers have been added since last year and every hole except the short 14th has been altered, but the shortening of the third and sixth meant the course was playing only about 150 yards longer.
Els had to scramble to make par on the first, pushing his second into the rough, but playing a superb chip over the guarding bunker to four feet. Playing partners Bjorn and Jimenez both bogeyed it, the Dane three-putting from almost 50 feet and Jimenez leaving his chip eight feet short.
Jimenez failed to get up and down from sand at the second and Bjorn also dropped to two over by bogeying the third. He needed to remind himself that he opened with a 78 last week and still won.
Els remained level par after three, but Colin Montgomerie, who has missed seven of his last nine halfway cuts, went over the green on the second and bogeyed.
The Scot was playing with Padraig Harrington, who followed a bogey at the third with a birdie at the next. South African Trevor Immelman, second on his last two US Tour starts, joined the group on two under with birdies at the fourth and sixth.
