European Masters 2021 R1
August 26-29
Crans-sur-Sierre GC, Crans Montana, Switzerland
€2,000,000
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Englishman James Morrison carved out a three shot lead at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, shooting a course record 60 in the opening round of the Omega European Masters.

European Masters 2021 R1

He shot nine birdies and an eagle at the par-5 14th and his round was marred by a single bogey at the 18th.

"I was in the first group out at 7.40 and the greens were just absolutely perfect this morning, with no wind.

European Masters 2021 R1

"I holed a couple of good putts, chipped in at 11, and it just snowballed from there. Bogeyed the 18th, my ninth, to be four under par through nine, but it was just a good, solid start. Hit the right shots when I had to and made a few putts.

"It was funny, after I bogeyed the 18th I went to the first - which is probably the hardest hole on the course - and made birdie there.

"My caddie said 'Come on, I think we can shoot 59 here'. I had eight holes to go and you use that as more of a mental push to keep going forward, use it more of a mental tool.

European Masters 2021 R1

"I had a really good look on the last and thought 'just try to make this'. The minute your focus goes like that, you chip it stiff, make birdie and shoot ten under par.

"I was trying to hole that shot on the last, but next time maybe.

"It's a four round event, my ten under isn't going to win today, you'll need to be minus 20 or plus. You've just got to keep your foot down and keep going and use that as a gee-up.

European Masters 2021 R1

Countryman Marcus Armitage and Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist are tied in second place at 7-under.

Sciot-Siegrist stumbled with a bogey at the first hole but immediately recovered with a birdie then fired seven more, four of them consecutively from the 5th.

Armitage joined him in second place in the afternoon after producing a bogey-free round.

They are followed in fourth place by Englishman Andy Sullivan and Sounth African Dean Burmester at 6-under.

European Masters 2021 R1