Simon Dyson soaring with Swiss eagle (From York Press)

Simon Dyson soaring with Swiss eagle

11:50am Friday 31st August 2012 in Sport By Tony Kelly, Deputy sports editor

WHERE eagles dared edged York golf high flier Simon Dyson towards the top of the European Masters leaderboard only to be brought crashing back to earth.

The world number 46 carded a two-under-par 69 for a healthy opening day in the Omega European Masters at the scenic Swiss Alps course of Crans-sur-Sierre.

But it could have been so much better for the Malton & Norton GC ace.

After missing the cut in both his last outings – the USPGA Championship and the Johnnie Walker Championship just last week at Gleneagles – Dyson was determined not to add a third midway misery on the spin.

A flurry of pars followed before Dyson made his first dramatic inroad. On the driveable par-four seventh he powered the 351 yards in a stunning eagle two to get him off and running.

The first-day round improved even more when he birdied a brace of successive par fives on the 14 h and 16th holes to go four under.

At that point the 34-year-old was tied for sixth place.

But smiles turned to a grimace as a sour 16 took hold.

Dyson double-bogeyed the par-three 16th to finish on 69 to leave him tied for 33rd five shots drift of opening round leader, Gregory Bourdy of France.