Golf roundup: Morrison shoots course-record 60 to lead European Masters - pressherald.com

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CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — James Morrison shot a course-record 10-under 60 to lead by three strokes after the first round of the European Masters on Thursday.

Starting in the first group at 7:40 a.m. at the scenic Crans-sur-Sierre club, the 36-year-old Englishman set a target no one could match on a sun-bathed day high in the Swiss Alps.

“The greens were just absolutely perfect this morning with no wind,” said Morrison, a two-time winner on the European Tour.

Morrison made nine birdies and an eagle, dropping just one shot at the par-4 18th hole which he played in his outward nine.

Robin Sciot-Siegrist, the French left-hander, and Marcus Armitage each shot a 63 to tie for second place. Andy Sullivan and Dean Burmester were another shot back.

“It’s a four-round event. My 10 under isn’t going to win today, you’ll need to be minus-20 or (better),” Morrison said.

Miguel Ángel Jiménez is making his 31st appearance in the tournament at the Crans-Montana ski resort, which was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 57-year-old Jiménez, who won the 2010 edition, had four birdies in his 69.

EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES: Irons, drivers, putters, even grips have been hard to find because of global supply chain shortages that have delayed everything from semiconductors to chlorine tablets.

For golf, the timing couldn’t be worse. The sport enjoyed renewed popularity amid the pandemic: The National Golf Foundation estimates that a record 3 million people played on a golf course for the first time in 2020. More golfers led to additional equipment sales. Industry behemoth Callaway reported a record fourth quarter 2020, with consolidated net sales of $375 million and a 20% increase, compared to the fourth quarter of 2019.

But combined with ongoing pandemic problems, including shutdowns of factories in Vietnam over concerns around the Delta variant, delays have become the norm for both sellers and buyers.

“While we expect golfer engagement to remain healthy, we do expect to face various levels of disruption within our supply chain,” said David Maher, chief executive officer of Titleist’s parent company Acushnet.

Mizuno, long known as a leader for its golf irons, used to turn custom orders around in two business days. Now they’re quoting up to seven weeks – and that’s if the components are available.

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