JUSTIN ROSE has a lot of ground to make up is he is to win his first professional tournament on home soil this week.

The 21-year-old Hampshire golfer went into the Benson and Hedges Open yesterday on the back of his third victory of the season, in the Crowns Tournament in Japan - a feat which raised him to 76th in the Sony World Rankings.

And for a short time at The Belfry yesterday he was up with the leaders, a birdie at the 545-yard 15th - Rose's fifth hole - taking him within a shot of first place.

But it all changed around the turn with bogies at 17,18, one and three plunging him to three over. Rose clawed back a shot at the 428-yard eighth but promptly gave it back again at the ninth.

It left him three over, sharing 117th place and with a battle to beat today's halfway cut. Alongside him after shooting a 75 was Stoneham's Richard Bland who is having a torrid time on his first full season on the European Tour.

He came into the Benson on the heels of a disqualifiaction in last week's French Open. The week before in the Canaries he finished one from last after closing rounds of 80 and 79.

But there was promise of much better at The Belfry as he stood 21st in the field at level par and with just two holes to play.

Then disaster struck again - a bogey followed by a double bogey six at the 473-yard 18th. Best of the area's players was Gary Emerson at one over.

He put five birdies on his card but he suffered an ugly double bogey six at the fourth followed by four more dropped shots.

Bagshot-based David Carter led at four under.