Branden Grace will lead the South African charge at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth this week.

Grace, currently ranked number 24 in the world, is joined in the field by countrymen Dylan Frittelli, Ernie Els, Zander Lombard, Trevor Immelman, Hennie Otto, Dean Burmester, Darren Fichardt, Brandon Stone, Haydn Porteous, Richard Sterne, George Coetzee, Jaco van Zyl, Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters.

Grace has seven European Tour wins to his name and arrives at the event with a previous best of fifth, back in 2012.

The European Tour’s flagship event has attracted some of the biggest names in golf, but one key name will not be in Surrey this week, as Rory McIlroy has been forced on to the sidelines by injury.

McIlroy’s absence means Sweden’s and reigning Open Championship winner Henrik Stenson will be the top-ranked player in the field, which features 10 of the world’s top 30 including Justin Rose, Alex Noren and defending champion Chris Wood.

Wood will enjoy home support, as will crowd favourite Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, 2016 Masters winner Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter, who has accepted an invite to partake.

Nine of the 12 players that represented Team Europe at last year’s Ryder Cup, including big-hitting Belgian Thomas Pieters, join the Tour.

The quality field is further highlighted, as it includes four former World Number Ones with Els, Luke Donald, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood all returning to Wentworth.

Two-time champion Donald (2011, 2012) is one of five former champions also set to take on the revamped course, including Wood (2016), Byeong Hun An (2015), Matteo Manassero (2013), and David Howell (2006).

This event marks the start of the Rolex Series, which offers a $7-million purse.