McIlroy races to Round 1 lead at European Masters

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Rory McIlroy opened up a three-shot lead.

CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland (AP) -- Teenager Rory McIlroy snapped out of a slump Thursday by shooting an 8-under 63 in the first round of the European Masters.

The 19-year-old Northern Irishman had missed halfway cuts the last three weeks.

"You get days when you read the lines perfectly and you know every putt is going in," McIlroy said. "It was like that today."

Garry Houston (66) chipped in for a birdie on the 18th hole for a share of second place with Kyron Sullivan and Julio Zapata. A large group at 67 included defending champion Brett Rumford, who birdied the first three holes.

Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only member of the European Ryder Cup team playing in Crans, was 6 under until he bogeyed the last three holes for a 68.

McIlroy had 11 threes and just 26 putts in his round. His only bogey came at the 12th where he drove into a bunker.

"I've been hitting the ball as well as that for the last month but I just haven't been getting anything out of it," McIlroy said. "Today I managed to hole a few putts and make a few up-and-downs when I needed to. I managed to keep it going and I had a lot of momentum and kept it going all the way around."

McIlroy's lowest round was a 61 in the Northern Ireland amateur event at Royal Portrush.

"I've only been missing cuts by one or two shots. I just feel like I've been making silly mistakes," he said. "I feel once I have a little bit of form, I won't make them."

Houston, who also missed cuts at his last three tournaments, birdied his first two holes and later added four more to go along with two bogeys.

Former U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell (69) said he is emerging from a barren 18-month spell that began at the end of 2005, the year he won his major title and the World Match Play.

"I basically took an 18-month holiday. Having won a major, I had no motivation left. I didn't want to get out of bed to turn up at a major," Campbell said. "Now I've got the hunger, the fire in my belly, again."

He had top-10 finishes the last two weeks, the first time he has put two together since early 2004.

Another teenager, 17-year-old Tadd Fujikawa, bogeyed three straight holes from the second but recovered to finish with a 73.

With his mother Lori caddying for him, Fujikawa got into his stride after a double-bogey at the short 11th and finished with three birdies on the last seven holes, one coming on a 25-foot putt at the last.

"It was an awful start and I played the par-3s in 4-over. I need to work on that," said Fujikawa, who missed the cut last year.