The Briton, normally so steady from tee to green, sprayed the ball all over Wentworth's West Course as he dropped five shots in the opening six holes.

Donald though battled his way back brilliantly with a flawless four-birdie back nine giving him a one-over-par 72 and a five-under tally of 208.

Manassero, 18, the hottest young prospect in golf, continued to show maturity beyond his years as he finished with nine straight pars on another tough day for scoring to return a matching 72.

World number one Lee Westwood produced his second consecutive 69 to tie for third position with little-known Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti (69) on 210.

"I am edging my way up there," Westwood told reporters. "This is the kind of course where you have to do that.

"It has that feel of a major championship where you are just hanging around, trying not to make too many mistakes. It's not the kind of course where anybody was going to run away with it." Zanotti strung together seven successive threes in the middle of his round, a record for the European Tour's flagship event.