Graeme Storm in Tulsa on Thursday. (Reuters)

Tulsa: Little-known Briton Graeme Storm upstaged the game’s biggest names by charging two strokes clear in the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Englishman, who won his first European Tour title six weeks ago at the French Open, fired a flawless five-under-par 65 in sapping heat at the Southern Hills Country Club.

Storm set the tone with three birdies in his first four holes before ending it two ahead of two-time major champion John Daly.

Arron Oberholser shot a four-birdie 68 to finish level with fellow-American Woody Austin and Canadian Stephen Ames, three ahead of defending champion Tiger Woods who bogeyed two of his last three holes for a one-over 71.

British Open champion Padraig Harrington, boosted by three birdies in a row, was among a group of seven on 69.

Storm, who worked in a cream cake factory after losing his European Tour card in late 2002, raced to the turn in four-under 31 before chipping in for his final birdie of the round at the par-four second..

Daly birdied four of his first 13 holes to set the early first-round pace.

Three-time champion Woods, who racked up four birdies and five bogeys, felt he hit the ball better than his scoring indicated.

Of the other big names in the 153-strong field, Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia opened with 70s, Ernie Els a 72 and Phil Mickelson a 73.

US Open champion Angel Cabrera ran up an ugly 10 at the par-three sixth after hitting two balls out-of-bounds and one into the water on the way to an 81, his highest score in a major championship.

(Reuters)