Justin Rose was one of the early pacesetters as the Volvo PGA Championships began under the grey, laden skies of Wentworth this morning.

The 22-year-old Hampshire golfer, pictured, brought the sun out with a couple of early birdies while another of the county's rising stars, Richard Bland, was also up among the front-runners.

Rose successfully negotiated Wentworth's tricky first trio of holes in par. He was glad to get past the third in regulation figures because it was there, on the tiered green last year, that he four-putted for a seven.

After his explosive surge to fifth place at the Deutsche Bank Open last week, Rose came into this tournament with his confidence flooding back.

And he made his first serious move at the par five fourth where he picked up his first birdie. Rose went to two under at the short but narrow par four sixth where he holed a good putt for his three.

Rose went through the turn in two under, one behind Australian Stephen Leaney and the big Scot Kenneth Ferrie, who won the Spanish Open last month.

There's big prize money available this week and 30-year-old Bland from Southampton needs a big slice of it.

He is currently languishing 124th in the order of merit, and was starting to chase his tail after dropping a shot at the sixth.

But the Stoneham clubman hit back with a four at the par five 12th and secured his second birdie at the tricky 383-yard 16th with it's difficult approach to the green.

New Zealander Michael Campbell, after a poor start to the season, regained some of his old magic to join the leaders at three under with birdies at the 11th and the 12th and both Darren Clarke and Mark McNulty were also quick to get to three under.

Rose missed a birdie opportunity at the long 12th, but he made a three at the 13th to go back into a share of the lead.

And Bland finished with a flourish, picking up his third birdie of the day at the par five finishing hole for a round of 70.