The BMW Championship will steal the spotlight this week, but the Omega European Masters will still offer up a fascinating contest. Damien Kayat previews.
2021 European Tour
Omega European Masters
Crans-sur-Sierre, Crans Montana, Switzerland
26th-29th August
Jacques Kruyswijk was underwhelming for me last weekend at Albatross, while former Open champion Henrik Stenson surrendering the initiative to American Johannes Veerman on Sunday. I will be hoping that a 2nd weekend on continental Europe proves more fruitful for me. Founded as the Swiss Open in 1923, the Omega European Masters has been staged at the idyllic Crans-sur-Sierre course since 1939. This event has been a European Tour ever-present since its inception in 1972. Like many of the events from last season, the Omega European Masters was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic. Despite the upcoming 2nd leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, this week’s field is actually a step up in quality from the recent European fare. This will also represent one of the final opportunities for various players to manoeuvre themselves into the Ryder Cup framework (whether it be automatic selection or just turning Padraig Harrington’s head).
Played against the spectacular backdrop of the Crans Montana mountain range, Crans-sur-Sierre is one of the most breathtaking courses you will ever see. This course actually dates all the way back to 1908. A significant redesign was overseen by the late-great Seve Ballesteros in 1999. This is a par 70 that measures just 6878 yards. That figure is also inflated by the drastic altitude. This course is therefore open for business for the less agricultural members of the field. This mostly tree-lined track is known for its quirky layout and small green complexes. Recent history seems to suggest that finding the greens will be the greatest determinant of success this week. Course familiarity seems to be of added significance this week given the idiosyncratic nature of the layout. After winning back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018, Matthew Fitzpatrick became the 12th man to register multiple wins at this venue.
The current favourite in the market, Bernd Wiesberger is still in with an outside chance of hopping into the automatic qualification for the Ryder Cup. Other players who will be looking to stake their claim for Ryder Cup consideration include the Italian duo of Francesco Molinari and Guido Migliozzi. Thomas Detry needs to finally secure that long overdue solo European Tour title (he did win the 2018 ISPA Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf alongside Thomas Pieters). Also, look out for European stalwarts Martin Kaymer and Danny Willett. It will also be interesting to see how Stenson bounces back following last week’s slightly deflating Sunday performance.
Past Winners
2020: no event
2019: Sebastian Soderberg (-14)
2018: Matthew Fitzpatrick (-17) *playoff
2017: Matthew Fitzpatrick (-14) *playoff
2016: Alex Noren (-17) *playoff
2015: Danny Willett (-17)
To Win Outright:
Bernd Wiesberger 25/1 | Thomas Detry 30/1 | Richard Bland 30/1 | Calum Hill 30/1 | Sam Horsfield 30/1
Value Bets
Andrew Johnston- To Win 45/1 | To Place 19/2
This pick ties in with the whole course familiarity angle. Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston finished 3rd at Crans-sur-Sierre in 2016. Johnston just has the right tools to take down this golf course. The former Valderrama champion tends to play his best golf on slightly tighter, tree-lined affairs. He has also shown glimmers of form this season, finishing in the top 20 in four of his last six starts.
Marcus Armitage- To Win (55/1), To Place (12/1)
This one just screams value at 55/1. Obviously, his price has been inflated somewhat by a more competitive field. The consistent Englishman won his maiden European Tour title at this year’s Porsche European Open (that was in June). ‘The Bullet’- as he is affectionately known, also had top 10 finishes at both the Austria Golf Open and Made in Himmerland earlier this season.
The Man to Beat- Justin Harding- To Win 30/1 | To Place 13/2
The steady South African has just been the embodiment of consistency in recent weeks, finishing 23rd or better in five of his last six starts. Harding will be arriving at Crans-sur-Sierre well rested since his T7 at the ISPA HANDA World Invitational. Just prior to that, Harding had lost in a playoff at the Cazoo Open. His last eight rounds on the European Tour are as follows: 68-69-66-65-70-64-67-69. He also won earlier this year at the Magical Kenya Open: that course- like Crans-sur-Sierre- is played at extreme altitude.
