Chris Wood, famous for finishing fifth in The Open as an amateur in July, hit the headlines for a very different reason at The Belfry today.

Just four holes into the Quinn Insurance British Masters Wood, playing his fifth professional event, smashed three balls out of bounds and ran up a sextuple bogey 10.

The wayward drives came on the 384-yard 13th and, having bogeyed the short 12th, the 20-year-old from Bristol slumped to seven over par. Early leaders on two under were Dane Thomas Bjorn, Dutchman Robert-Jan Derksen, Indian Jeev Milkha Singh and France's Gregory Bourdy, who eagled the long third.

Singh pitched to within two feet of the flag on the 10th, his opening hole, then made a 40-footer up the hill at the 12th.

He was partnering Darren Clarke, who three-putted the 11th, missed the green wildly on the next and also bogeyed the 13th to be down on three over.

Wood is allowed only two further starts to earn around £130,000 and so avoid the Tour qualifying school.

He led on his pro debut in Sweden last month, but then suffered food poisoning and fell to 18th spot.

Then he was penalised two strokes for taking a wrong drop in Holland and, despite a second round 64, missed the halfway cut by one.

Wood also crashed out early from the European Masters in Switzerland three weeks ago, but then tied for top spot in the first stage of the school at The Oxfordshire last week.

He faces the prospect of another 72-hole qualifier before the six-round final marathon in Spain in November. 

Bourdy and Singh both improved to three under, while Wood remained seven over after 10 and Clarke's birdie on the 15th lifted him back to two over.

Only two of last week's Ryder Cup side, Lee Westwood and Graeme McDowell, were in the field, but they were both among the later starters.

Singh led on his own at four under when he also birdied the long 17th. He only just carried the water with his approach to the 18th and bogeyed, but starting the front nine with another birdie meant he was four under again and one ahead of Australian Marcus Fraser.

Shaw Hill's Nick Dougherty, who just missed out on the Ryder Cup, joined the group on two under when he birdied both par fives on the inward half, but Clarke took six on the 564-yard 17th and was three over again.

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