Baildon bagman Dominic Bott stepped in to help Colin Montgomerie in the PGA Championship at Wentworth yesterday after the Scot revealed he had been sacked by his caddy at the start of this week.

Bott, whose regular employer Thomas Bjorn had withdrawn from the competition due to the death of his father, was alongside Montgomerie as he shot an opening-round 69 to put himself among the early contenders.

The honorary Ilkley member said: “I had a phone call from my caddy (Jason Hempleman) saying he had decided to go with somebody better.”

Hempleman is now on the bag for Italian Ryder Cup player Francesco Molinari.