Garcia, Donald head European Masters field
IN: News | European PGA | Omega European Masters (2005) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 31 Aug 2005
Crans Sur Sierre is one of the more spectacular places in the world, let alone venues for a European Tour event and this week's Omega European Masters will again see a high class European Tour field competing high in the Swiss Alps.
The tournament has previously been known as the Swiss Open and in more recent years the European Masters under different sponsors but its location ensures that it remains one of the more unique events in European golf.
So high is the golf course that it doubles as the beginner slopes for the popular ski resort, during the winter months. The altitude and thin air in that region also ensures that the golf ball is hit great distances during the week, along the lines of Colorado the week of The International.
The layout was extensively remodelled in 1999 by Seve Ballesteros whose work received a lot of criticism. The greens especially were remodelled, with many of them now being described as upside down saucers.
Luke Donald is the defending champion having won this event just a few weeks after his maiden European Tour victory at the Scandinavian Masters in Sweden. Donald will be here this year but the winner in 2003, Ernie Els, will of course not be available to play as he is still recovering for his knee injury and subsequent surgery.
Donald's win last year was by five over Miguel Angel Jimenez and by six over Sergio Garcia and perhaps the most prolific of finishers here in recent years Eduardo Romero. Donald comes off several reasonable finishes of late and should be well primed for a good defence of his title.
Sergio Garcia is the highest world ranked player here in 6th place and he has played well enough in stronger fields of late to be a likely contender of Sunday. He was 19th in 2003 and last year was 3rd.
Miguel Angel Jimenez has hardly been brilliant since his win in Wales earlier in the season. He has played well here in several starts and might find a way to get back to his best form this week.
Henrik Stenson has developed into one of the leading European Tour players this season and while he can not boast a good record here, he is so improved in 2005 that he might just play well.
Bradley Dredge is coming off five top tens in his last eight starts and played well enough here last year (20th) to be considered given his current hot run of form.
Paul Casey showed a little bit of form at the NEC but then missed the cut last week in Germany. His form is too inconsistent at present to be a serious consideration if having a bet.
Emanuel Canonica is brilliant, but erratic, as his recent form would suggest. He won the Johnnie Walker a month ago after missing the cut at the Scandinavian Masters but then could only manage 30th last week in Germany. He was 4th here in 2003 and so far, with Molinari's win at the US Amateur, it has been a good week for Italian golf. Can he make it even better?
The Australians are headed by last week's runner up in Munich, Brett Rumford, and Peter O'Malley, who appears to be on the brink of some better form than that he has displayed until recently in 2005. O'Malley finished 10th here last year and his top twenties in his last two starts indicate an improvement in form.
Other Australasians are Wade Ormsby, Peter Fowler, Jarrod Moseley, Marcus Fraser, Brad Kennedy, Stephen Scahill and Peter Senior.
The tournament is worth €1.7 million.
