Tie me kangaroo down, sport! Brett

Rumford sets pace with nine-under 62

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Australian Brett Rumford took the first-round lead at the Omega European Masters in Switzerland today after a brilliant birdie blitz for a nine-under-par round of 62 at the Swiss Alps venue.
Rumford, winner of the title in 2007, gave little indication of the round to come when he hit a wayward opening drive.
The 32 year old from Perth, Western Australia then dropped shots on the fourth and fifth holes. But then came a remarkable turnaround - Rumford played the remaining 13 holes in 11 under with an eagle two on the driveable seventh, birdies at the sixth and ninth and then an inward 28 containing seven more birdies.
His 62 would have equalled the Crans-sur-Sierre course record but for the fact that placing of the 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 The Netherlands two weeks ago.
"I've no idea where that came off. When I won here I played great golf, but today I just got my putter running."
Dyson was delighted at waiting only 11 days to repeat the closing 63 which led to his second KLM Open victory in four years.
The 31 year old from York's round contained eagles at the first and 15th. A 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.
“I drove the ball well, the irons were good and I managed to roll some in so it was good,” said Dyson. “I got off to an ideal start with the eagle at the first. I had good chances at the second and the third but then four was a good birdie because it was playing long - it was driver, five iron. A perfect start.”
No fewer than six players are tied for third on six under - Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, Spain’s Miguel Angel Jiménez, the Swedish pair of Christian Nilsson and Alexander Noren, Argentina's Anders Romero and England’s Danny Willett.
Both Jaidee and Dyson have previously won the Asian Tour order of merit, so it was appropriate that both were going well in the first ever event co-sanctioned by The European Tour and Asian Tour on European soil.
For Jiménez it was a case of making a good start as he looks to keep his place in Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup Team for next year.
“It's a little bit early to be talking about that. But of course, every time you have a good result in this period then you are getting close to qualifying,” said the Spaniard.

LATER NEWS (not on the European Tour website)
It transpired later that tournament leader Brett Rumford hit a female spectator just above the eye with his opening drive.
While she was taken away for treatment with blood streaming down her face, the 32 year-old from Perth, who was told about the incident and was 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 driveable seventh, birdies at the sixth and ninth and then an inward 28 containing seven more birdies for a 62 which would have been a record but for preferred lies being the order of the day.
"It was not nice. You feel really bad for the lady, but there's really nothing you can do," said Rumford.

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