The European Tour heads to the most picturesque surroundings of the year this week for the Omega European Masters in Crans Montana out in the Swiss Alps. This is always one of the favourite stops for the tour and the field this week highlights that.
Matthew Fitzpatrick landed the title here 12 months ago and he is back to defend that crown but there are a number of former winners and potential champions looking to dethrone him so we’re set for a decent week of golf.
Recent Winners
2017 – Matthew Fitzpatrick
2016 – Alex Noren
2015 – Danny Willett
2014 – David Lipsky
2013 – Thomas Bjorn
2012 – Richie Ramsay
2011 – Thomas Bjorn
2010 – Miguel Angel Jimenez
2009 – Alex Noren
2008 – Jeff Lucquin
The Course
Once again we are at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club this week. With the Swiss Alps overlooking the course and setting a delightful scene this is always a good watch on TV. The course itself is a par 70 which only measures 6,848 yards and with altitude very much in play this week it will play nothing like as long as that.
There is no need to bomb it around this course. In fact, most players keep the driver in the bag for much of the tournament and play for position off the tee to be able to back the small, upturned saucer like greens. A look at the previous winners will highlight a who’s who of hitting greens in regulation with wedges and short irons. The ability to scramble never goes amiss here either. This is a tournament where course form counts for a lot.
The Field
Given that the tournament goes up against the penultimate event on the PGA Tour you would have to say a decent field has been assembled which is credit to the tournament and the setting it is played in.
Matt Fitzpatrick headlines the field but last week’s champion Matt Wallace is also here as is Thomas Pieters. Lee Westwood came close to a victory last week and he’s back for more here with European Tour stalwarts Danny Willett, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Andy Sullivan, Haotong Li and Ross Fisher all looking to run off with the title.
Market Leaders
Matthew Fitzpatrick is the 12/1 favourite to successfully defend the title. Defending any title on the European Tour is not easy though and my gut feeling is that he is plenty short enough even allowing for his 2-7-1 finishes here in the last three years. There is no reason why Fitzy won’t contend again and I wouldn’t necessarily put anyone off of him but he is a pretty short price.
On Wednesday Thomas Pieters is going to find out whether he is going to Paris or not and how that decision goes and how he deals with it could well determine how well he goes this week. That is obviously guesswork but what isn’t is the fact that he has a MC and T60 in two efforts around here. He’s in decent form but you either like this place or you don’t and at 22/1 I’m happy to leave the big Belgian alone here.
Matt Wallace finished like an absolute train to win the Made in Denmark tournament last week and he is 25/1 to follow up that success here. He is now expected to go to the Ryder Cup and it will be interesting to see how he takes that news when it is officially given out on Wednesday. He should be on a high but it has been a huge week for the Englishman and he can be forgiven a bit of a let down here. He’s not for me. Charl Schwartzel is the same 25/1 price. He plays here for the first time since 2010 but his record here is pretty good. His recent form isn’t though so I’ll leave him be.
Lucas Bjerregaard and Lee Westwood are both 28/1 to win the tournament. You get the feeling Bjerregaard will go in again before the season is out. Whether it is here or not remains to be seen. A top 10 here last year will certainly have done him no harm. Westwood is a little more hit or miss around here but when he hits the ball as well as he did last year you can never truly count him out. It is 33/1 bar.
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Main Bets
Lee Westwood has been saying for a while now that he has been hitting the ball good without the results to back him up and the last two weeks he has continued to show something. His long game looks in good order so his only issue now is with the putter but these smaller greens should help out massively in that regard. He has contended around here before and with little pressure on him these days I think he has the tools to go close here again.
I mentioned last week how I needed to take the price on Danny Willett because I expected him to be really short this week but that isn’t actually that case and at 33/1 he almost picks himself. He won this tournament in 2015 on his way to the success at Augusta the following year and his record here is exceptionally good. Since 2011 he has finishes of 25-2-26-5-1-12-MC. We can allow for last year’s missed cut as we all know what was going on there but he’s showing signs of life again here and can run hot at a tidy price.
Outsiders
Miguel Angel Jimenez has a wonderful record on this golf course and although he spends much of his time winning things on the Champions Tour we shouldn’t make the mistake that he can’t be in the mix back at this level. He has teed it up in four European Tour events this year – Hong Kong, Dubai Desert Classic, Italian Open and the Shot Clock Masters and has been in the top 20 in all of them so he can compete in this company. On a course he loves he has to be backed.
Scott Hend loves it here too. Anyone who follows him on Twitter will know he loves being at this place and losing in the play-off for the last two years will undoubtedly fuel his fire. He isn’t someone you would normally expect to go well here but his recent form on the track and the fact he has won in Hong Kong in the past makes him a dangerous challenger. I’ll have a dabble on him as well.
Ashley Chesters came good in the second half of last season and there are signs that he could be about to do the same again this time around too. He finished inside the top 10 in Denmark last week and comes here for a crack at a course which should suit him well with his tee to green game often immaculate. If he can get the short stick going again then the 125/1 on him could look big come Sunday.
Tips
Back L.Westwood to win Omega European Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-6)
Back A.Chesters to win Omega European Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 126.00 with Boylesports (1/5 1-6)
Back them here:
Back D.Willett to win Omega European Masters (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 34.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back S.Hend to win Omega European Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 67.00 with Coral (1/5 1-7)
Back them here:
Back M-A.Jimenez to win Omega European Masters (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 61.00 with Unibet (1/5 1-6)
Back him here:
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