EDDIE Pepperell could not build on his bright start at the Portugal Masters.

The Abingdon golfer carded a two-over par opening round at Dom Pedro Victoria GC, Vilamoura, despite birdies at his third and fourth holes of the day.

Pepperell was in one of the last groups to tee off, starting from the tenth alongside Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal and Thorbjorn Olesen, from Denmark.

The Frilford Heath member birdied the par-five 12th and took just two shots at the following hole.

Pepperell was still two-under at the turn, but a bogey at the first was a sign of things to come.

The 30-year-old dropped shots at the fifth, sixth and seventh holes to slip down the leaderboard.

Pepperell starts his second round at the earlier time of 8am tomorrow.