Justin Rose's hue will not fade just because of one poor round but the newly-bloomed professional from England certainly learned yesterday what the pressures are in trying to earn a living.

A crushing 77, six-over-par, littered with the sort of errors he rarely made at Royal Birkdale, was a hard lesson to learn in his first pro tournament as a 17-yearold.

With a double-bogey and five bogeys, it was a baptism of fire to the paid ranks, only lightened by a birdie - a fortunate one, too, as his ball skipped over the protecting bunker at the long 12th.

He is now 14 strokes away from his fellow-countryman Lee Westwood as the current European Order of Merit leader produced his own fire in the shape of two eagles and five birdies to equal the course record eight-under-par 63. Had a five-footer gone to ground for birdie, the 25year-old in-form English player, looking for his fourth win in his last six events to extend his rankings lead, would have had the record outright.

Westwood leads by two shots from the defending champion Sven Struver of Germany, Norway's Per Haugsrud and another Englishman, his contemporary Jon Lomas.

As Rose struggled in the afternoon, Westwood had already set the target. And he did it with Struver and Paul McGinley up alongside in the best threesome of the day.

McGinley has had the worry of moving home to become Darren Clarke's neighbour in Sunningdale. But the Dubliner shrugged off his off-course difficulties and a poor British Open last week to once again contend for a tour title.

A 66, which included an early eagle and six birdies to tip the scales easily against a double-bogey and a bogey, was reward for McGinley's determination to feature at Hilversum.

After sparking his bid for a third tour victory with three birdies in the last five holes, McGinley said: "I moved into my new house on Monday and there's been so much to do but I was always going to make sure I got out to play here because I like the course so much.

"We didn't finish moving until Monday afternoon but I still found a bit of time to practice that night at Sunningdale and on Tuesday night as well. It was pretty miserable missing the Irish Open and British Open by a stroke but today I found some form again and hit a lot of fairways and greens."

McGinley is not counting his chickens on his Dunhill Cup place yet with Philip Walton and Des Smyth still a threat to him and Padraig Harrington for the St Andrews place with Clarke.

And it is just as well. After shaking off his worrying neck strain Walton again hit form and three birdies in the last five holes as well, including a chip-in and a 30-footer from off the green, earned him a 68. His message to McGinley and Padraig Harrington was fairly clear: "They've got to watch their backs," said Walton succinctly.

Clarke also shot 68 to equal the feat of his playing partner Nick Price, collecting five birdies but dropping two shots. He admitted he'd got the best out of a round in which he was not totally on-song, the imminent birth of his first child naturally taking up much of his thoughts nowadays.

Harrington's day went well at the end after some frustrations. He rammed home a 30ft eagle putt on the last for a 69.

Like Rose, though, there will be a struggle for Des Smyth and Raymond Burns to make the cut after they shot 75s.