Racing Post's European Masters golf betting tips and tournament preview

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre on the European Tour.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Richie Ramsay
2pts each-way 45-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Bernd Wiesberger
1.5pt each-way 25-1 bet365

Sean Crocker
1pt each-way 50-1 Betfred, BoyleSports

Lucas Bjerregaard
0.5pt each-way 100-1 bet365

Nacho Elvira
0.5pt each-way 125-1bet365

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The European Masters at the picturesque Crans-sur-Sierre is one of the most anticipated European Tour events of the year but the clash with the FedEx Cup playoffs means there will be a lack of star quality in Switzerland.

Rory McIlroy, fresh from winning the Tour Championship in the States, went off at just 9-2 for glory two years ago before he was one of four players defeated in a playoff when Sweden's Sebastian Soderberg got the job done, but it looks a much more open field this time.

Six of the last seven European Masters have needed extra holes to find a winner and bookmakers anticipate a competitive four days in the Alps.

Wilkerson's top tip

Richie Ramsay 45-1

It is nine years since Richie Ramsay celebrated a triumph in the European Masters, but he may look upon this year's tournament as a great opportunity.

The Scot has two other top-ten finishes at this track and it is worth remembering that those performances came against stronger opposition than the three-time European Tour winner is set to face in Switzerland this week.

Ramsay's play can be unspectacular, which should be no handicap this week, but he has shown plenty of consistency in the last few months, missing just one of his last 15 cuts.

He was fourth at the Irish Open, 15th in a decent field at the Scottish Open when he carded a third-round 65 and he finished five shots off the pace last time out at the Cazoo Open.

As the eighth-straightest driver on the European Tour this season, he should relish the test at Crans-sur-Sierre and, in an open affair, he could make a strong challenge for his first European Tour title since the 2015 Trophee Hassan.

Next best bet

Bernd Wiesberger 25-1

Austria's Bernd Wiesberger leads the market and possesses the necessary talents to justify his position, having already won the Made in Himmerland this year.

He was subsequently fifth at the BMW International Open and his only missed cuts in his last ten tournaments came in the US PGA Championship and the US Open.

He was 21st at the Cazoo Classic last time out and while sixth spot in 2012 is his best performance in ten visits to this week's venue, his statistics make interesting reading.

Wiesberger is ranked second in strokes-gained tee-to-green, fifth in strokes-gained approach and third in greens in regulation, so he definitely has the potential to improve on that course record this week.

Other selections

Sean Crocker 50-1

Lucas Bjerregaard 100-1

Nacho Elvira 125-1

Sean Crocker is another player who makes appeal from a statistical perspective, and his second spot in last week's Czech Masters fuels that enthusiasm.

The American had five weeks off between missing cuts at the Scottish Open and the Cazoo Classic, but before that he was ninth at the Irish Open so it was not as if last week's showing was a fluke.

Crocker was 28th in this tournament last year but he has potential to improve as he is ranked third in strokes-gained approach, first in strokes-gained tee-to-green and fourth in greens in regulation.

This week's test should be to his liking and it is worth chancing a couple of others who may have slipped under the radar at three-figure prices.

Big-hitting Lucas Bjerregaard was second here in 2018 and ninth the year before, and while he has slipped down the world rankings, there have been signs of life in the last few weeks.

He shot a second-round 62 at the Hero Open three weeks ago and while he faded to tenth with a closing 73, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

He was also one shot off the lead after the first round at the Cazoo Classic in his last outing, so it could just be a case of knitting it all together.

Spain's Nacho Elvira came from nowhere to win the Cazoo Open at Celtic Manor last month and he was 22nd the following week at the World Invitational after he carded opening rounds of 66 and 67.

He missed the cut here last time but, after a fourth-placed finish in 2018, he should not be dismissed.

Players to note

Jacques Kruyswijk
The South African possesses a solid tee-to-green game and has flown up the world rankings after some fine recent performances, including seventh at the Czech Masters last week.

Johannes Veerman
Makes his course debut a week after winning the Czech Masters and deserves respect after top-ten finishes at the Irish and Scottish Opens.

Michael Lorenzo Vera
The Frenchman has finished sixth and third in the last two European Masters but he has not had a top 20 this year.

Crans-sur-Sierre course guide

Course Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans Montana, Switzerland
Prize money €2m (€333,000 to winner)
Length 6,848rds
Par 70
Field 156
Course records - 72 holes 260 Colin Montgomerie (1996) 18 holes 60 Jamie Spence (1992)

Course winners taking part Sebastian Soderberg, Danny Willett, Richie Ramsay, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bradley Dredge

When to bet By 6.40am Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 12.30pm

Time difference Switzerland is one hour ahead of the UK & Ireland

Last week - Czech Masters 1 J Veerman 25-1, 2 S Crocker 45-1, T Pulkkanen 50-1, 4 P Peterson 75-1, H Stenson 40-1, 6 D Burmester 20-1

Course overview Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in the Swiss Alps was opened in 1908 and had hosted a European Tour event every year since 1972 before last year's pandemic postponement.

A Seve Ballesteros redesign in 1999 made it much tougher, creating lots of run-off areas around the greens, which made approach shots difficult to keep on the putting surfaces and made chipping more challenging too.

The sixth and seventh are driveable par-fours where players are looking to pick up shots. Small, firm, unreceptive greens are the main problem for the competitors, although they are aided by the fact that the ball flies further than normal at the altitude.

Most fairways are tree-lined and undulating, while water hazards can be found on holes ten, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18.

Two of the three par-fives are fairly straightforward (the 540-yard first and the 516-yard 15th), but the 633-yard ninth is less easy to conquer.

Dropped shots are always on the cards at two long par-threes on the back-nine – the 217-yard 11th and the 235-yard 16th.

The tournament has produced close contests in recent years with a playoff required in six of the last seven competitions.

Weather forecast There is a small chance of rain on each of the four days of competition, but winds should be modest and the temperatures may not climb much higher than 10C.

Type of player suited to the challenge The altitude means the ball will fly further but accurate sorts tend to do well here. The straight-hitting Matthew Fitzpatrick, who is not teeing off this time, has won here twice in the last few years, so players need to ignore the scenery and plot their way round.

Key attribute Accuracy

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