The 42-year-old from Malaga holed from four feet for a birdie on the first and narrowly missed making it two in a row from 25ft on the next.

Jimenez, third at Royal Lytham five years ago, did not have cause to regret that miss for long however.

A birdie from five feet on the next took him two clear of the field, and a superb eagle on the fifth – after a 4-iron to 15ft from 223 yards – extended his advantage.

At nine under par he was four shots ahead of McDowell and maintained his brilliant start with an excellent par save from a deep greenside bunker on the sixth.

Alongside McDowell on five under were defending champion Tiger Woods and Japan’s Keiichiro Fukabori, who had played two and three holes respectively, while England’s Greg Owen and Anthony Wall were also five under but among the later starters.

McDowell had led by one after an opening 66 but the Ulsterman’s opening drive found the rough to the left of the fairway and from there he could only reach a bunker some 30 yards short of the green.

The 26-year-old played a good recovery to 10ft but missed the par putt to drop back to five under par and then recorded six straight pars.

Woods, who finished in style with an eagle on the 18th yesterday, had opened with two pars but playing partner Nick Faldo had birdied the first and second to improve to three over.

Despite the benign conditions there were still some high numbers being posted by the early starters.

Former USPGA champion Rich Beem ran up a double bogey six on the first and fellow American Fred Funk went one better – or worse – with a triple bogey seven after tangling with a greenside bunker and three putting.

The 50-year-old American, who became the oldest ever winner of the Players Championship in 2005, also bogeyed the second and despite a birdie on the had dropped from three under and a share of 20th place overnight to level par.