The European Tour moves from the Czech capital to the Swiss Alps when the Omega European Masters gets under way at one of golf’s most spectacular venues this week.
The breath-taking Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club has proved a happy hunting ground for some of the tour’s most decorated players, including Thomas Bjørn and Lee Westwood, and has also proved a successful course for 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett as well as last season’s serial winner Alex Noren.
Ahead of this year’s visit to Crans Montana, our stats guru has picked out three players whose numbers suggest they could be worth a spot in your Fantasy side.
Favourite: Tyrrell Hatton
Last year proved to be the season that Tyrrell Hatton truly arrived on the European Tour, securing his first title at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and earning top ten finishes in The Open and US PGA Championship. Hatton may not have brought his best game to Switzerland in 2016, but his performances there in his two previous visits suggests this is a course the Englishman can be a real threat on. Top three finishes in 2014 and 2015 prove Hatton knows how to tame the picturesque course in the mountains, with a scoring average of 66 from those two stellar performances. A final round 62 in 2015 also propelled Hatton to within two of eventual winner Danny Willett.
The 25 year old hasn’t been in strong form of late, but a return visit to a course he knows he can perform on could be the turning point in his season. A man who recorded six top 25s in as many appearances to finish last season is certain to turn his season around sooner rather than later. A course he’s proved dominant on could make this his week.
Form Horse: Haydn Porteous
A nerveless Sunday showing from Haydn Porteous earned him a hugely impressive second European Tour win at the D+D REAL Czech Masters last week. For the 23 year old, however, it was a culmination of a strong few weeks on tour. The South African knocked out Gregory Havret at the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play on his way to a share of 17th, before putting in a strong showing at the Made in Denmark a week later. A tie for sixth in Farsø was Porteous’ best result of the season up to that point, with three consecutive sub-70 rounds ensuring he headed to the Czech Republic with renewed belief. Rounds of 67 and 69 on the weekend at Albatross Golf Resort saw him triumph for the first time since the 2016 Joburg Open, edging out experienced opponent Lee Slattery in a superb Sunday battle.
Porteous’ well-documented long game, which sees him ranked eighth for the season in Driving Distance, will be aided by playing at around 5000ft above sea level. However, he will need to incorporate his tidy short game from his victory in Prague if he is to enjoy another successful week on tour. He averaged 1.68 Putts per Green in Regulation last week, the best in the field, and could be a strong pick if he can replicate that form in Switzerland.
Wildcard: Tom Lewis
There are reasons for Tom Lewis to be cheerful heading to Crans Montana this week, following a strong week in Prague. The Englishman has begun to show signs of converting his much-admired long game into consistent results, earning a tied for third finish at Albatross Golf Resort on Sunday. A ten under par total got him to within three shots of champion Porteous and came just two weeks after he finished in a share of ninth at the Paul Lawrie Match Play. After winning on tour in just his fifth European Tour start in 2011, Lewis hasn’t been able to follow up in the way some may have expected. However, the last three weeks suggests his game might be coming together.
Lewis left the Czech Republic with enviable figures to his name, finishing in the top 15 in Driving Distance (average of 303.8 yards – eighth), Greens in Regulation (77.8% - sixth), Putts per GIR (1.71 - seventh) and Putts per round (29 – 15th). A replication of those numbers this week could make Lewis a solid wildcard pick for your Fantasy side.
Those are our three picks, now it's time to make yours. Pick your seven-man Daily Fantasy team for each round of this week's event and play in either free or money games.
