EDDIE Pepperell is hoping for a calm start to his BMW PGA Championship campaign today after an astonishing week, which has featured lost clubs, two unnecessary flights and a change of coach.

In the midst of the chaos, the 24-year-old, from Abingdon, finished joint 41st in the Spanish Open to climb above 14-time major champion Tiger Woods in the world rankings.

Pepperell acknowledged it was not the ideal preparation for the European Tour’s flagship event, at Wentworth.

“It’s been a crazy week,” he said. “I wouldn’t mind four quiet, but good days now.

“Something like four 67s with no bogeys would be nice, but something tells me that won’t be the case.”

Pepperell could be forgiven for wondering what will happen next.

The tale began a week ago in Spain, when a poor tee shot on the seventh hole, followed by some bad luck, saw him rack up a ten on the par five.

It contributed to the Frilford Heath golfer finishing the first two rounds at four-over par.

Presuming he had missed the cut, Pepperell caught an early flight home.

He said: “When we landed I saw lots of missed calls and I thought I better look at the leaderboard.

“We were fortunate we got a 9pm flight, they were two of the last seats on the plane.”

The 1,400-mile round trip did not appear to affect him on Saturday, until back-to-back double bogeys.

It prompted Pepperell to reverse the decision he made last month to stop working with coach Mike Walker and hire Jamie Gough.

He said: “I could see quite quickly patterns were emerging and I didn’t feel I was going to play any better.”

A four-under par round of 68 steadied the ship, but the drama continued when the van due to bring his clubs from the event to the airport mislaid the bag.

It meant he played a practice round at Wentworth on Tuesday with a set hastily arranged by TaylorMade.

Pepperell, who memorably finished sixth at Wentworth two years ago, will tee off at 8.45am in the group behind world No 1 Rory McIlroy.

At 134 in the world, he is ahead of Woods, although Oxfordshire’s top golfer was not too bothered about the landmark.

He said: “It’s nice, but it’s not something I care about.

“Hopefully I can get moving the right way up again. This week would be a great place to start."