McIlory's chance to bounce back
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2011 Omega European Masters | Preview | 31 Aug 2011
The European Tour and the Asian Tour combine this week in a jointly sanctioned event in the mountains of Switzerland.
The Omega European Masters is played in what has to be one of the most exotic locations in world tournament golf. Crans sur Sierre is situated high above the Rhone Valley, so high in fact that during the winter months the golf course doubles as a ski resort and in the summer is a beautiful alpine village with a Seve Ballesteros redesigned golf course as its centrepiece.
Like many of the world’s great golfing locations, the golf course in terms of its purity of design does not necessarily live up to its setting but a round of golf or even a visit to the golf course takes your breath away. Views down the valley towards Montreux or across the valley towards the Matterhorn in the distance are simply stunning.
The tournament or its predecessor has been played at his venue since 1939, known in its early years as the Swiss Open before incorporating the European Masters in 1983 and finally becoming only the European Masters in 1992.
A strong field has been assembled in 2011 headed by the world two Lee Westwood, the world number five Martin Kaymer and the US Open Champion Rory McIlory.
Westwood is a former winner of the event, albeit in 1999 but the Open Championship aside 2011 has been a great year for him to date. He arrives off the back of a good week at the PGA where he finished 8th and at the WGC Bridgestone where he finished 9th.
Kaymer has not often played this event and when he has he has struggled. His recent missed cut at the PGA Championship was both a surprise and a disappointment especially as the defending champion. He was going well enough prior to that event however to surely be a factor especially considering he was the world number one golfer earlier in the year.
McIlory has perhaps been distracted since his amazing victory at Congressional but his 6th place at Firestone suggests that he is going well enough to contend. The last occasion on which McIlroy teed it up at Crans sur Sierre he produced a final round of 64 (the best of the day) in 2009 and finished 7th. That he is playing this week suggests he has recovered from his injury at the PGA.
McIlory also lost a playoff in the event in 2008 so his memories of this town and the event are no doubt very positive and that should work in his favour this week.
Matteo Manassero finished third in this event last year and has continued to impress by winning two European Tour events since.
Alexander Noren was the winner of this event in 2009 and given that he has won in both Sweden and Wales this season he must be a chance to upset the higher ranked players this week. He played well enough in the two big events in the US in recent weeks for the form he displayed in Stockholm to continue.
Francesco and Edoardo Molinari have both played this event well on occasions although despite hardly missing a cut this season Edoardo has been not at the level of form he was when finishing runner up in this event last year just prior to his Ryder Cup inclusion. Like his brother, Francesco is not at his peak either.
Korea’s Noh Seung-yul continues to impress with several good finishes of late and importantly has made the cut in all three of his major championship appearances this season. Noh finished 4th in this event last year and like Manassero is considered as one of the emerging stars in world golf.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is defending the title he won by three over Edoardo Molinari last year but the Spaniard is battling a wayward game at present and he will have to rely on the good memories he has of this place if he is to do well.
Australasians in the event include former winner Brett Rumford, Marcus Fraser, Andrew Dodt, Matthew Zions, Marcus Both, Rick Kulacz Daniel Gaunt and Wade Ormsby and New Zealanders Mark Brown and Michael Campbell.
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