Whatmore was sacked following the World Cup in South Africa and Bob Woolmer, Graham Ford, John Bracewell and Steve Rixon were all linked with the job.

BBC: John Dyson

The 25-year-old Warren, who holed the winning putt in the 2001 Walker Cup, spent six hours hitting balls with coach Bob Torrance on Monday, and it paid instant dividends with a bogey-free round.

BBC: Scotland's Marc Warren is tied for the lead after round one