But Westwood resumed with a birdie on the 437-yard 10th and by parring the next fives holes on the demanding County Limerick lay-out he had already moved up 25 spots.

Green and Singh were both among the later starters, as were defending champion Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie on level par and three over respectively.

Welshman Bradley Dredge, loser of a play-off 12 months ago after taking a double bogey seven on the 18th, was in joint third place overnight and set off again with three pars.

Singh’s compatriot SSP Chowrasia moved alongside Dredge with an opening birdie and 19 holes without a bogey was a fine start to kick off his first-ever Tour event on European soil.

Chowrasia won the Indian Masters in February on the Tour’s first visit to his home country to earn a two-year exemption.

Darren Clarke, critical of the set-up of the course when he finished yesterday on level par, bogeyed the short 11th, but came straight back with a birdie.

Westwood closed the back nine with another birdie, chipping to three feet from just over the green on the par five, but it was home pair Clarke and Paul McGinley who were drawing the biggest morning gallery and that was certain to grow after both made moves through the field.

Clarke had further birdies on the 15th and short 16th to be up to two under and joint 10th, while McGinley birdied the 13th and 15th and was one under.