Dean Burmester made an eagle, six birdies and two bogeys on Thursday as he opened the European Tour’s Omega European Masters with a six-under-par 64 at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in Crans Montana, Switzerland.

His opening round total put him in a share of fourth with Andy Sullivan, four strokes behind the leader James Morrison of England, who carded a superb 10-under-par 60, which included a bogey on the 18^th. Morrison was three clear of Marcus Armitage on England and France’s Robin Sciot-Siegrist in a share of second.

Burmester started his round on the 10^th, and got in the action immediately with a birdie there, and another on the 11^th. He made the first of his two bogeys on the 12^th, but he soon made up for that with an eagle three on the par-five 14^th. He made another bogey on 18 to turn in two-under-par 35.

But it was on his homeward nine where he put pedal to the metal, making birdies on two, five, seven and nine, without dropping another shot.

Justin Harding also started well, signing for a four-under-par 66 with seven birdies and three bogeys. He was in a share of 12^th, together with Daniel van Tonder and Darren Fichardt.

Justin Walters was on one-under-par 69 after the first round, in a share of 53^rd, while George Coetzee was on level-par 70 in 74^th. Jacques Kruyswijk carded a one-over 71, Wilco Nienaber a two-over 72, Bryce Easton and Brandon Stone were on three-over, Zander Lombard on four-over and Haydn Porteous on seven-over.

Elsewhere, on the Challenge Tour, JC Ritchie and Oliver Bekker were the best of the South Africans in the field of the B-NL Challenge Trophy at The Dutch in Spijk, Netherlands after first rounds of one-under 70. The lead was held by Marcus Helligkilde of Denmark at eight-under 63.

Jacques Blaauw was on level-par, Martin Rohwer on one-over, Neil Schietekat on five-over and Hennie du Plessis on nine-over.