The vagaries of the West Course can often be difficult to comprehend, as Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell discovered on a pet day in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship here in the stockbroker belt. Although constructed in quite different ways, their numbers added up to identical scores – 69, three-under – as the two Irishmen opened their quest for the European Tour's flagship title.

Their routes to the same destination on the Burma Road – as the course is known – were quite differently compiled. Lowry, for one, when his tee-shot to the 14th bounced off tarmac and propelled over the boundary fence, while a smiling McDowell, who has always struggled here, was like a code-breaker who had finally struck it rich. In their own ways, each manoeuvred into contention.

“I found the combination to the lock a little bit today,” agreed McDowell of his opening effort, which – nevertheless – was four shots adrift of co-leaders Scott Hend, of Australia, Korea’s YE Yang and Joost Luiten of the Netherlands. And there was a fine opening score of 66 from Masters champion Danny Willett, who was bogey-free and in control of his game.

McDowell’s past efforts here have never set the world alight. His best finish – tied-13th in 2009 – was returned prior to a remodelling of the greens, yet this was a much improved effort. He scrambled manfully on the front nine and played wonderfully tee-to-green on the homeward run, with his putter, often his saviour on the outward run, ironically getting cooler as the round progressed.

He was a man with a point to prove, too. In the Irish Open at The K Club, his weekend play – which included a closing round 80 – was unacceptable to him. “I kind of let my concentration slip and I was disappointed at myself. I am not a guy who throws the towel in.”

Here, remotivated and refreshed, McDowell, his round fired by sinking a 30-footer for birdie on the sixth, was a different man as he seeks to make inroads in the Ryder Cup qualifying campaign. “I want to break my sort of Wentworth duck,” said McDowell, who could kill two birds with the one stone if he were to actually win.

As it happens, Darren Clarke is set to name three of his vice-captains this afternoon for the match with the USA at Hazeltine in September.

McDowell is looking to force his way into the team, and the points here – along with an upcoming schedule that will see him play the US Open and then move on to a stint of five straight weeks on the road taking in the French Open, Scottish Open, British Open, Canadian Open and the US PGA –will make up what he termed his “Ryder Cup run.”

Lowry in contrast has always liked Wentworth. Apart from two holes – the 13th and the 14th, where he went bogey and then double-bogey – his play was of the highest order.

“I went to sleep for a bit,” he confessed of those dropped shots, which were rescued to a degree by birdies at the 15th and 18th to dip sub-70.

Pushed marginally

Lowry’s play of the par three 14th was, in a way, indicative of the perception that breaks have gone against him in recent times. Lowry’s six-iron tee-shot was pushed marginally and, as he does, he shouted “fore” to warn the galleries who scurried from the ball’s flight path. The ball cannoned off a tarmac cart path and flew out-of-bounds.

“If I had not shouted, it probably would not have gone out-of-bounds and instead hit a spectator and landed near the green. Some of the American [players] would have got away with it but I believe you have to shout ‘fore’, you don’t want to walk up to your ball and see someone lying on the ground. I recall hitting a woman spectator on the head one year at the Scottish Open and it is not a nice feeling at all,” said Lowry.

Lowry had to go back to the tee and hit a good shot in to 10 feet only to miss the bogey putt. The double-bogey brought him back to one-under.

“I showed great character after that. I have to thank Dermot [Byrne, his caddie]. I was pretty close to losing it out there but he gave me a good talking to heading to the 15th tee.”

The birdies on 15 and 18 were a fine response, and got him back into contention. All to play for then, on a course he loves.

Michael Hoey – who has missed the cut in his last 10 tournaments – finally rediscovered some form, with an opening 70 with an impressive short game, scrambling five out of six times when he missed the greens in regulation, giving him a chance to make the cut.