August 29 - September 01
Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland
€2,500,000
Live leaderboard
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Mike Lorenzo-Vera lit up the back nine at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club to share the lead with Matthias Schwab at seven under par after day one of the Omega European Masters.

“ I'm very happy because I just had five weeks off. It was a stressful five weeks with a wedding and moving plus two kids. I managed to bring the head together pretty well today. I stroked the ball really well, with the irons, the putter.

“The best thing to do (with so much going on) is to have a very, very good psychologist, that you call often. I'm not kidding, that's really what I do. Try to clean the head as much as possible outside the tournament and come here fresh and ready to play golf.

“The changes (to the course) make it a little bit less stressful. 12th and 14th greens, more fair. Fifteen is longer but easier around the green. They made the course more fair and it feels good when you are here.”

A host of Major Championship and multiple European Tour winners have made the trip to stunning Crans Montana this week - including World Number Two Rory McIlroy - but it was two men seeking a first victory who set the pace with opening rounds of 63.

Austrian Schwab had set the target in the morning with a bogey free effort before Frenchman Lorenzo-Vera came home in 29 to join him at the summit in the spectacular Swiss venue.

“It was a good day for me. Got off to a pretty good start, holed a bunker shot on four and that got my round going. Couldn't really keep it up on the back nine. Had a couple of really good looks, but still seven under is a good start.

“It reminds me of home a lot. I grew up in the mountains and still live there. I like being here, I like the mountains.

“I don't know if growing up at altitude is an advantage, you still have to hit shots and play good shots. Obviously I know how far my ball is going at this altitude. That surely helps but other than that I don't think it's really an advantage.”

Italian Lorenzo Gagli, Finn Mikko Korhonen and Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg are their closest challengers at six under par, one shot ahead of 2017 Race to Dubai Champion Tommy Fleetwood, South African Erik van Rooyen - who clinched his maiden European Tour title in Sweden last week - Welshman Jamie Donaldson, Scot David Drysdale, Malaysia's Gavin Green and Italian Guido Migliozzi.

“I am very pleased with a 64," said Korhonen. "I holed a couple of times from the fairway with eagles on seven and 17, so it was quite a round. On the previous hole I had four shots from 12 feet to make double. I had two bogeys and a double and still shot 64, so I have to be happy with that.

“It's about ten percent more on the ball flight (at altitude) that's what we worked out. And the greens are quite soft still, but I think on the weekend it will be a different game. I've got to hit every fairway I think.”

Sergio Garcia, the 2017 Masters Tournament winner and champion here in 2005, is amongst a group of 11 players at four under par, while four time Major winner McIlroy is one of 16 players shot further back and four shots off the lead at three under par.

"It's so different, it's fun," said McIlroy. "The 18th hole finishes basically in the middle of the town. It's a very nice atmosphere to play in. A little more relaxed. It's been such a big adjustment for me from the sort of golf and courses I've been playing the last few weeks to here. I felt like I did OK with it today, didn't putt as well as I wanted to. 

"I feel like when I'm playing my best I'm the best player in the world. I would like to get back there. It's been a goal of mine for a while. I haven't experienced that summit for the last four years. I feel like with the work that I'm putting in and the consistent golf that I'm playing, hopefully it's only a matter time."