DARREN FICHARDT 80/1 £5EW PP 7PL
KALLE SAMOOJA 40/1 £5EW PP 7PL
L BJERREGAARD 100/1 £5EW SKYBET 7PL
ROSS MCGOWAN 500/1 £2.50EW SKYBET 7PL
JUSTIN HARDING 30/1 £5EW PP 7PL
BILLY HORSCHEL 80/1 £5EW PP 7PL
PATRICK CANTLEY 22/1 £5EW PP 7PL
KEVIN NA 66/1 £5EW PP 7PL
KEEGAN BRADLEY 70/1 £5EW PP 7PL
SEBASTIAN MUNOZ 125/1 £5EW PP 7PL
The Omega European Masters is one of the most prestigious golf competitions played on European soil. Located at Crans-Montana in the heart of the Swiss Alps, the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf-Club is indisputably the most spectacular course on the European Tour schedule.
This internationally-renowned golf competition, played on the same course for the 74th time in 2021, has seen players such as Spain’s Seve Ballesteros, José Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia, Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie, South Africa’s Ernie Els and Britain’s Lee Westwood win the coveted trophy.
The 2019 edition of the Omega European Masters was exceptional from start to finish. It attracted 64,800 visitors, an absolute record. After four days of competition, five golfers failed to separate (-14) and had to play extra-time: Rory McIlroy, Lorenzo Gagli, Sebastian Söderberg, Kalle Samooja and Andres Romero. A five-man play-off, first time ever. It was a great way to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the tournament.
The 13,500 spectators present on Sunday around hole 18 only had one wish: to see the idol McIlroy win for the first time in Crans-Montana. The first to give in was the Italian Gagli by putting his ball in the water. The second to be eliminated was Romero, who placed his stroke at the foot of the stands. Just like the fifth player Kalle Samooja, Rory McIlroy has once again missed his chance.
For his first appearance on the Haut-Plateau, the Swedish man therefore did very well. He won his first European Tour after playing 50 tournaments.
The 2020 edition unfortunately had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The professional players will meet again in Crans-Montana, from August 26 to 29, and each one of them is hoping to add his name to the winner list of this prestigious tournament.
Golf Club de Crans Sur Sierre
This beautiful course at Golf Club de Crans Sur Sierre is home to the European Tour’s event the Omega European Masters, was transformed in 1995 by Seve Ballesteros and is one of the most scenic courses in Switzerland. With views of the Swiss Alps all the way round, this golf course requires thought and precision creating a challenging but enjoyable experience.
The course is tree-lined with undulating terrain and the ball can travel up to 15% further in the higher altitude. After the tree-lined and enclosed sixth hole, the seventh hole opens up to a panoramic view of the beautiful Swiss Alps creating an iconic hole.
Caves Valley Golf Club will host
the 2021 BMW Championship August 24-29.
The top 70 players in the world will compete
in this decisive PGA Tour FedEx Cup
playoff tournament.
The BMW Championship features only the 70 best players of the season in the race for overall victory – and plenty of them will be sifted out as well: just 30 will qualify for the playoff finale after the tournament. It is hard to imagine a tougher top-level golf competition. Defending champion and world no. 1 Jon Rahm, reigning FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson, Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and BMW International Open champion Viktor Hovland will tee off in Baltimore alongside many other Major winners and Ryder Cup legends.
Caves Valley Golf Club
Quick Facts
Holes 18 Par 71 Length 6942 yards
Slope 138 Rating 74.5
Year built: 1991
Architect(s): Tom Fazio,Dennis Wise,Tom Marzolf,Tom Marzolf
Greens: Bent Grass
Fairways: Bent Grass
Caves Valley has undergone some modifications to prep the course for the professional tournament.
“Some of those are playability alterations for the players, and some of them are logistical so they can make sure the crowds are in the right spots,”
First and foremost, players will tackle the usual back nine holes first, so holes 10 through 18 will be played as the first nine holes in the PGA event. The normal 1 through 9 will be played as 10 through 18 in the tournament.
The other changes the team have noticed this week are:
Additional seven or eight teeing grounds to “give it some distance,” with around 250 to 300 yards of extra playing space, if needed;
Installing three new bunkers;
Some “enhancement of the rough” to make it more demanding;
And some infrastructure work, including upgrades to the irrigation system and restoration of existing bunkers.
The greens themselves will stay the same. The front and back nines are being switched in part to allow for better views for attendees as well as hospitality options catering to the crowd. They play very fast and undulating as before so picking the right spots will get the ball to feed to the holes around here. Could set up for the odd hole in one this week and some holed out second shots.
Past Results
2020 Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019 Sebastian Söderberg 266 −14 Playoff
2018 Matthew Fitzpatrick 263 −17 Playoff Lucas Bjerregaard
2017 Matthew Fitzpatrick 266 −14 Playoff Scott Hend
2016 Alex Norén 263 −17 Playoff Scott Hend
2015 Danny Willett 263 −17
2014 David Lipsky 262 −18 Playoff Graeme Storm
2013 Thomas Bjørn 264 −20 Playoff Craig Lee
2012 Richie Ramsay 267 −17
Past Results
2020 Jon Rahm 276 −4 Playoff
2019 Justin Thomas 263 −25 3 strokes
2018 Keegan Bradley 260 −20 Playoff
2017 Marc Leishman 261 −23 5 strokes
2016 Dustin Johnson 265 −23 3 strokes
2015 Jason Day 262 −22 6 strokes
2014 Billy Horschel 266 −14 2 strokes
2013 Zach Johnson 268 −16 2 strokes
2012 Rory McIlroy 268 −20 2 strokes
DARREN FICHARDT 80/1
We should be getting some good value here this week from Darren. This course and the way it has been set up this week ticks most of the boxes for me and can see him shooting some low scores around here.
The timing could be perfect as he has not been playing his best stuff of late and coming back to a place he seems to play well at could be his chance to pick up win number six on the European Tour.
He has become a far better player this season than many before it. Top ten in stroke average top twenty five in putts per greens in regulation. His last career win was at the Joburg Open back in 2017 he has been knocking on that door quite a bit since then.
KALLE SAMOOJA 45/1
Yet to win on the European Tour but feel this will change pretty soon. In fact his best result on the ET was at this event back in 2019 where he was the runner up to our pick Mr Soderberg at 420/1.
I see plenty to like with him here this week and with a handful of top ten’s over the past few months I like the way he is trending.
His distance control and yardage is what really got me interested in his pick for this week, players who have won here don’t seem to run away with the victories. It is very much a plotter’s golf course and having a good caddy on the bag this week will help a lot coming down the home stretch, and the caddy on his bag has plenty of experience around here so looking for a dream team show this week.
LUCAS BJERREGAARD 80/1
Lucas has now established himself on the world stage and should be ready to win a lot more PGA and European Tours including the Majors.
Results over the past few years to back this up have been:
- 148th Open – 16TH 2019
- PGA Championship – 16TH 2019
- BMW PGA – 3RD 2018
- WGC Match Play – 4TH 2019
Also with two wins at the Alfred Dunhill and the Portugal Masters he is well overdue a win right now.
Plenty of missed cuts this season is the reason for such high odds, but I feel his game has started to hit the heights of his 2017/2018 season and from what the team saw at the Hero Open that was backed up with a stunning top ten place. I try not to base a lot on previous results but for him is a horses for courses track and having made the cut four years on the straight I feel we could be getting excited come Sunday.
I might also look at a top 10 bet here.
ROSS MCGOWAN 500/1
JUSTIN HARDING 30/1
BILLY HORSCHEL 80/1
Billy has had a very indifferent season so far since winning the WGC Dell match play back in March it has been fairly hit and miss. He did however come close to winning the Zurich Classic in April.
He has shown yet again he makes a lot of cuts and seems to perform better on the bigger stage. He started slow last week at the Northern Trust opening with 71/70 but then his game seemed to click into gear managing to climb the right way up the leader board closing the last two rounds with 66/69.
He is a bent grass specialist and fast greens are his forte so should fit nicely into here and could be making plenty of birdies.
He should have a solid week and could pop up and win this under the radar.
PATRICK CANTLEY 22/1
Had to get Patrick in for this week we were with him on Wednesday and followed him pre range and practice at the Travelers he is such a class act, he gave us such a big insight into his practice routines and mind set. He enjoys plotting and planning his way around certain tracks and one course came to the top when we were chatting was Caves Valley. He said it’s a place he knows well and enjoys the greens and course management it challenges you every hole.
Two time winner this season at the ZOZO and the Memorial, second at the American Express and third at the AT&T Pebble.
His missed cuts have not been his approach play or tee to green it has come down to the putter. Having said this he enjoys faster greens so will be right at home here and ready to shoot some low ones for us I am sure.
KEVIN NA 66/1
I feel this guy does not get the full credit he deserves. He has shown just how good a grinder he is over the past month or so to get into this week and to be inside the best seventy players on the PGA Tour right now.
The world number thirty will be in such high spirits this week and why not check out his last four events and results:
- John Deere Classic – 2ND
- WGC St Jude – 23RD
- Wyndham – 2ND
- Northern Trust – 8TH
Another winner already this season at the Sony back in January and is well overdue another win. We asked him about his early walk when putting, he tries to imagine himself following the ball home and it seems to be working.
Could again be a player under the radar here.
