Brett Rumford Leads European Ryder Cup

Australian golfer Brett Rumford took  the first-round lead at the Omega European Masters - the first qualifying event for Europe's Ryder Cup side - in Switzerland.

Rumford, winner of the title in 2007, hit a spectator just above the eye with his opening drive. While he was taken away for treatment with blood streaming down her face, the 32-year-old from Perth, who was told about the incident and anxious to find out about the spectator's condition, dropped shots on the fourth and fifth holes.

But then came a remarkable turnaround. Rumford played the remaining 13 holes in 11-under-par, with an eagle two on the drivable seventh, birdies at the sixth and ninth and then an inward 28 containing seven more birdies.

His 62 would have equaled the Crans-sur-Sierre course record but for the fact that placing of the golf ball was allowed on the wet fairways.

"I got off to a shaky start in more ways than one," said Rumford, who leads by one from England's Simon Dyson, winner of the KLM Open in Holland two weeks ago.

"It was not nice. You feel really bad for the lady, but there's really nothing you can do."

"I've not spoken to her yet and I didn't even see her at the time. It was her eyebrow I'm told - if it had been her temple a couple of inches away it could have been really bad."

As for what followed, he added: "I've no idea where that came off. When I won here I played great golf, but today I just got my golf putter running."

Dyson was delighted at waiting only 11 days to repeat the closing 63 which led to his second Dutch Open victory in four years.

The 31-year-old from York outshone not only four members of Nick Faldo's side - Miguel Angel Jimenez shot 65, Graeme McDowell 68, Oliver Wilson 70 and Lee Westwood a level par 71 - but also Rory McIlroy.

The 20-year-old will go top of the European money list with victory on Sunday and when he followed an opening birdie by holing his 104-yard wedge to the second for an eagle two it looked as if he might even improve on his first round 63 last year.

But McIlroy picked up only one more shot and so signed for a 67.

Dyson's round contained eagles at the first and 15th. The Callaway X-22 Tour two-iron to eight feet gave him the perfect start and a five-wood to 15 feet on the 516-yard 15th brought the other.

He played alongside Paul Casey and Luke Donald in the amateur Walker Cup in 1999, but while they took just five years to graduate into Ryder Cup stars he is still waiting to make that leap.

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