Karlsson takes control

Faldo was in fine form on the first day in Switzerland

Leading first round scores

A late charge by Robert Karlsson saw him overtake Nick Faldo to lead the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

Faldo had led for most of the day after shooting a fine five-under-par 66 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

But Karlsson finished with four birdies in five holes to take top spot from him late on.

Karlsson was second to Faldo at the 1992 European Open at Sunningdale, but just missed out on the 1999 Ryder Cup team.

Karlsson leads a quality field by one shot

He dropped to 114th on the Order of Merit the following season and currently lies only 79th.

His best finish this season is ninth.

Faldo lies in joint second with Scotland's Paul Lawrie and Karlsson's fellow Swede Mathias Gronberg.

First round pictures

The Switzerland course holds special memories for Faldo as it was the scene of his first overseas victory in 1983.

They should redesign the greens

Ernie Els

Starting on the back nine, Faldo chipped in for birdie at the 412-yard 12th - his third - and then hit a superb iron to nine feet on the tricky 200-yard 13th.

The best was yet to come with an eagle on the 543-yard first.

Six-time major-winner Faldo's last solo victory was more than five and a half years ago.

Open champion Ernie Els, who shot a one-under-par 70, hit out at the condition of the greens at the course.

The greens were redesigned by Seve Ballesteros in the late 1990s but have come for heavy criticism from players since then.

World number three Els struggled to a 70

"I don't think the weather has been that good but the greens are not really up to tour standard," said Els.

"It is their design and their condition. But it is the same for everybody, though."

"They should just redesign them I think," he said. "If you look at the way some of the holes are designed, the greens just don't fit the design at all, so that is probably the problem.

"They just went in there with one mindset for the greens, so that every green is the same if you've got a three-iron or a sand-iron, you have the same green."

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Leading scores from the first round of the Omega European Masters (GB unless stated).

65 R Karlsson (Swe)
66 N Faldo, P Lawrie, M Gronberg (Swe)
67 C Pettersson (Swe), M-A Jimenez (Spa), D Park, A Cejka (Ger), B Rumford (Aus)
68 K Eriksson (Swe), E Canonica (Ita), M Foster, F Andersson (Swe), B Davis, P Casey, S Leaney (Aus), G Orr
69 Olle Karlsson (Swe), Christophe Pottier (Fra), Patrik Sjoland (Swe), T Levet (Fra), J Donaldson, P Price, H Bjornstad (Nor), T Bjorn (Den), S Dyson
70 D Carter, G Brand Jnr, P Hanson (Swe), E Els (Rsa), T Immelman (Rsa), S Little, K Stadler (USA), S Luna (Spa), I Garbutt, M Farry (Fra), M Chatelain (Swi), R-J Derksen (Ned), S Gardiner (Aus), J Hugo (Rsa), B Lane, C Rodiles (Spa), R Goosen (Rsa), I Poulter, A Coltart, D Drysdale, R Jacquelin (Fra), P Fowler (Aus).

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