Brier hot favourite in Austria
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 BA-CA Golf Open | Preview | 06 Jun 2007
The European Tour is in Austria this week for the BA-CA Golf Open presented by Telekom Austria. The event is missing Europe’s best as most are either in Memphis for this week’s Stanford St Jude Championship or taking a break as they prepare for next week’s US Open.
Local, Markus Brier, who won this event in 2004 as a Challenge Tour event, and again last year, is the raging hot favourite not only because he seems to have a great affinity with the Fontana Country Club layout, but because he is in very good form of late. A win in China, a runner up placing in Italy and an equally impressive 12th place at the BMW PGA Championship indicates that he is ready to once again turn it on for his home fans in Vienna.
The Fontana Golf Club was designed by Canadian Doug Carrick and was established in 1997. The European Tour returned to Austria for the first time in ten years last season and is back again for the €1.3 million event.
While Brier has a great chance of winning what is effectively the Austrian Open for the third time in four years, there are many players who have every reason to be considered serious contenders. It seems Lee Westwood has rediscovered his game in recent times with victory in Spain and a good 12th place at the BMW. He has made a lot of cuts in recent months and has been converting that consistency into some very good finishes. His chances look very good.
Richard Green has played only a few European Tour events this season but when he has, he has been very good. His last round of 63 in this event last year to finish in a share of fourth was particularly imnpressive and his recent fourth place at the Irish Open and 8th placing at the BMW indicates that he might be the toughest for Brier and Sterne to beat.
Miguel Angel Jimenez has hardly been brilliant this season and has slipped outside the category of player who gets a start at events like next week’s US Open. He failed to qualify on Monday for that event but he was 5th at Wentworth two weeks ago and did finish 6th in this event last year. He stands a very good chance.
Colin Montgomerie has to be considered but as one of the few players in the field this week who will go on to play next week’s US Open and especially at a course where he so nearly won in 1994, his mind might just be elsewhere.
Germany’s Martin Kaymer gets closer to realising his undoubted potential as a future winner on the European Tour. He led last week before a last round demise but he is getting closer despite being in his rookie season. He was a prolific winner on the Challenge Tour last season and it is just a matter of time as to when he wins his first European Tour event. They do not come much easier than this in terms of field strength. He looks to be a very good player.
The Australasians other than Green are Scott Strange, David Bransdon, Wade Ormsby, Terry Pilkadaris, Simon Nash, Peter Fowler, an improving Matthew Zions and New Zealander Steve Alker.
