Three years after saving his European Tour career in the Swiss Alps Welshman Garry Houston made a great start today to his bid to repeat the feat.

Houston opened the Omega European Masters at rain-soaked Crans-sur-Sierre with a five-under-par 66 to share the lead in the race for the €333,330 first prize with compatriot Kyron Sullivan.

The 37-year-old from Wrexham is a lowly 517th in the world and 132nd on the Order of Merit, with only the top 115 keep their cards at the end of the season.

Back in 2005 he came to the same course lying 433rd in the world and 126th on the money list, but began with a 65 and ended the week joint fourth.

The €65,000 cheque remains the biggest of his career and that finish matched his best-ever on the circuit.

Midway through the day's play the Welshmen were one ahead of Scot Gary Orr, Italian Emanuele Canonica and Finn Mikko Ilonen.

Two opening birdies by Houston were almost followed by a hole-in-one at the 192-yard third.

"It landed an inch short of the hole and almost bullied its way in underground, but then came out of its pitch mark and went to the back of the green," he said.

The round ended on a high note, however, when he chipped in for a seventh birdie.

The posters advertising the tournament had the faces and names of Ryder Cup trio Lee Westwood, Robert Karlsson and Miguel Angel Jimenez emblazoned on them.

However, Karlsson has switched to next week's German Masters in Cologne because he wants to give a neck strain more rest, while Westwood withdrew on Tuesday with tonsilitis.

That left Jimenez as the only member of Nick Faldo's side in town. The Spanish star, returning from a three-week break, was among the afternoon starters.