Gary Orr's good form continued after he carded a four- under-par 67 on the opening day of the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

Orr seized five birdies on the rain-softened alpine Crans Montana course to end the day four shots behind Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.

The 19-year-old produced his lowest ever round on the Tour to head the field by three shots after posting 11 threes in an eight under par 63.

Three players - Argentina's Julio Zapata and the Welsh duo of Garry Houston and Kyron Sullivan - are next best after rounds of 66.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, the only Ryder Cup player in the field, bogeyed the last three holes for a 68.

Orr produced his fifth sub-par star in as many events to again set-up hopes of ending an eight-year winless drought following recent results of fourth in the SAS Masters and eighth in the KLM Open. Orr begun his round with a third hole bogey but it was his only dropped shot of the round.

He birdied his sixth in chipping to six feet and played a 130-yard shot at the par three 17th that Orr was playing as his eighth, to four feet. Birdies followed at his 10th and at the 12th when he hit a five-iron to 10 feet before landing a 90-yard wedge shot to 12 feet and holing the putt.

"My short game has been a lot better the past few weeks and that helps with the scoring," he said. "So I certainly feel that it's going in the right direction.

"This game is all about confidence and my results of late is breeding more confidence and if have a few good rounds and a few good tournaments it all kind of snowballs. So if I keep playing like this and hopefully get the right breaks and do the right things another victory is not that far away."

Orr suggests Colin Montgomerie's failure to automatically qualify for the Ryder Cup team put too much strain on his wildcard chances. "It was always going to be tough for Monty when he failed to make the side automatically," he said. "And as Faldo didn't want him in the team then that's the way it goes.

"It's embarrassing for Scotland as we won't have a Scot in the Ryder Cup team but I am sure that will be corrected in Wales in two years time."

Other Scottish scores from today's Masters: David Drysdale 71, Crail Lee 73, Marc Warren 74, Peter Whiteford and Jamie McLeary 75.