The European Tour heads south from Denmark to Switzerland for this week’s Omega European Masters. Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, situated in the Swiss Alps, has hosted the tournament since 1939 and is one of only five events to have been held every year since the European Tour’s formation in 1972.
At almost 5,000ft above sea level, players will be adjusting to counter the change in altitude on the par 70, 6848-yard track. The course has a stroke average of 70.11 and its tree-lined fairways means hitting fairways is a must. In recent seasons, Matt Fitzpatrick, Alex Noren and Danny Willett have triumphed on the course modified by European Tour great Seve Ballesteros in the mid-1990s.
After crunching the numbers, our stats guru has selected three players for your Fantasy team…
Favourite: Matt Fitzpatrick
You’ve got to fancy Matt Fitzpatrick heading into the Omega European Masters. The Englishman has recorded three top sevens in four appearances in this event, including victory last year. He finished runner-up to Alex Noren in 2015, seventh in 2016 and then beat Scott Hend in a play-off last year to win his fourth European Tour title. His stroke average of 67.29 is hard to match and proves this a course Fitzpatrick performs well on, regardless of form; he came into each of the previous three editions on the back of indifferent results.
However, the 24 year old did perform well last week at the Made in Denmark, earning a tie for seventh at Silkeborg Ry Golf Club. Nobody hit more Greens in Regulation in Denmark than Fitzpatrick (87.5 per cent), a figure he’ll be keen to replicate once play begins on Thursday. Although he hasn’t fared well in Driving Accuracy here in recent years, since 2008 he ranks in the top ten for GIR, Putts per GIR, birdies or better and bogey avoidance on this course. Expect to see the four-time European Tour winner among those in contention.
Form horse: Miguel Ángel Jiménez
The phenomenal Miguel Angel Jiménez shows little sign of slowing down. Not content with winning the Senior Open at St Andrews in July, the 54 year old has played four times on the European Tour this season, finishing in the top 19 in each appearance. The Spaniard has signed for nine sub-70 scores in 16 rounds this term, with the standout performance a superb 63 at the Italian Open to secure a share of 14th.
Then there is Jiménez’s outstanding record in this tournament. He has played in 28 editions of the event, winning once in 2010 and recording ten other top tens. A wonderful 64 kicked off his tournament in the mountains last season and showed he can still mix it with players not even born when he first played here in 1989. Nobody knows this place quite like El Mecánico, with six consecutive top 11s between 2008 and 2013 proving age is no handicap. Even when out of position, the Spaniard ranks second in Scrambling (69 per cent) since 2008. If a potent mix of experience and good form combines this week, Jiménez could be set for another special week.
Wildcard: Aaron Rai
After graduating to the European Tour with three Challenge Tour wins in 2017, Aaron Rai has looked right at home. Some impressive results from March onwards, including ties for fifth and ninth at the BMW International Open and Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open respectively, have seen Rai climb the Race to Dubai Rankings. With two top 24s in his last two events, Rai heads to Switzerland in solid form.
Rai has been excellent off the tee this season, hitting 73.1 per cent of fairways, ranking 12th on Tour. The Englishman has also hit 73 per cent of Greens in Regulation, giving him a real advantage heading to Crans-sur-Sierre GC. Although he has never played this course before, Rai’s solid form and propensity to hit fairways and greens means he could be a solid bet in the mountains.
