Omega European Masters Betting Preview

With the drama of Ryder Cup qualification now past after last week’s drama at Gleneagles, the European Tour moves to the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-sur-Sierre for the Omega European Masters.

This event often attracts a strong line up and most of the principals from Gleneagles will once again lock horns over the quirky Crans-sur-Sierre course. At around 6,800 yards it is one of the shortest courses on the European Tour circuit, but despite it’s length the course tends to favour longer hitters due to the propensity to be able to play shorter irons into the course’s undulating greens.

The first name on this week’s short-list is Spaniard Gonzalo Fernando Castano, who is available to back at around 30/1. The Spaniard has taken some time to find his stride this season after a string of good efforts in 2009, but recent showings suggest he could be ready to pop up. Top tens in Wales, Andalucia and Majorca where the course layouts were not to dissimilar to what he’ll encounter here and he finished just outside the top 10 in the Czech Open. Gonzo boasts some decent course form as well, and will be refreshed after taking last week off making him an excellent choice to record a first Tour win of the season.

Bradley Dredge can point to some impressive course form over the years at Crans-sur-Sierre, and his accurate game can reap dividends this week. A former champion here, Dredge’s last seven appearances to this venue have yielded a win, a second, a third and a share of fourth as well as two other top-20 finishes and the Welshman has missed only three cuts this season with seven top-20 finishes on his 2010 record. He can sometimes pay the price for being overly-aggressive on the course, which might explain why he is winless since 2006 but I expect Dredge to go very close this week at 20/1.

I’ve been following the fortunes of Dutchman Joost Luiten and he will be keen to contest his KLM Dutch Open next week on the back of a solid performance here. Luiten has made 13 consecutive cuts heading into this week and his solid tee-to-green game should stand him in good stead around Crans’ quirky fairways and greens. Odds of 100/1 are too big to ignore.

Charl Schwartzel returns to competition after some time off from the game, so will undoubtedly be fresh ahead of this event. Charl finished sixth here last year, and there’s little doubt he’s a better player now than then. This is borne by top-20s in three majors this year, as well as top-three finishes in prestigious PGA Tour events. 18/1 is a decent price about the South African, providing there is no ring-rustiness about his game.

Miguel-Angel Jiminez can never be written off, and the Spaniard bounced back from a poor final round in the Czech Open to push all the way to the line at Gleneagles, and could have had a say in the outcome had it not been for that inexplicable double-bogey on the 17th hole. Jiminez has some strong form here with seven top-10 finishes, but has never tasted victory over the course and 16/1 could be a little short.

Like Jiminez, Jamie Donaldson could have influenced the outcome of the Johnnie Walker and arrived on the 17th hole having stormed through the field to get to within two shots of the lead. Despite that late collapse which saw Donaldson rack up a double-bogey on the 17th, Donaldson appears to hold another strong chance of claiming a first Tour win and his game should be suited by this course and I reckon he’ll turn in another sound performance at 50/1.

Brett Rumford finished in front of Donaldson at Gleneagles and offered the sternest challenge to eventual winner Edoardo Molinari. That performance might spur him on, and his short game has seen him post creditable efforts in previous visits here. One of his three European Tour successes has actually come over this course – in 2007, and he opened last year with a 62. He is another with a strong chance this week at 35/1.

Selection: Gonzalo Fernando-Castano
Savers: Bradley Dredge, Joost Luiten