Stefan is a promising player and caddied for his father when he partnered Marcel Siem to victory in the World Cup in Barbados last December. But has been struggling with his swing recently, and Langer rightly feared the tough course at Zandvoort could prove too much of a test.

That was borne out by Stefan’s dreadful start of double bogey, bogey, bogey, triple bogey which left him seven over par for just four holes – and even worse was to come.

After completing the back nine in 45, 11 over par, the teenager bogeyed the first and then ran up a 12 on the par-five second hole after playing a total of four balls off the tee. His first two were lost – and although the third one was found, it was in an unplayable lie and meant a trip back to the tee to play his seventh shot.

Another bogey on the next left Langer 20 over par with six holes to play and in danger of failing to break 100 on the par-70 layout.

“It’s a big opportunity for him and great for us to be in the same field,” Langer had said yesterday.

“But I think he picked a very tough golf course. He has been struggling a little with his game and has tried to make some changes – but it is difficult to play tournament golf when you are between swings, when the old one doesn’t work and the new one is not yet bedded in.

“I don’t expect him to make the cut to tell you the truth as it is such a tough golf course and when the wind blows it is a brutal test.

“A little too much sidespin on the ball and it is gone 40 yards off line. You can lose six or eight balls out here in a heartbeat as there are so many bushes and rough.”

At the other end of the leaderboard, Japan’s Taichi Teshima was setting the early pace on five under par after 15 holes, one ahead of England’s Ross Fisher and Swede Alexander Noren.