Omega Masters depleted by Ryder Cup race
IN: News | European PGA | Omega European Masters (2008) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 04 Sep 2008
The stunning setting of Crans Sur Sierre in Switzerland plays host, as it has for the past 70 years, to the Omega European Masters (previously known as the Swiss Open), when a field depleted by the recent race for Ryder Cup places lines up this Thursday in the €2 million event.
Miguel Angel Jimenez is the only member of this year’s European Ryder Cup team in the field, reflecting the desire by most in that team to recharge the batteries after several key events in recent weeks in readiness for the Mercedes-Benz Championship next week and the battle at Valhalla one week later.
The 2007 champion Brett Rumford is back to defend his title after a disappointing rookie season on the USPGA Tour. Just three months after his victory here last year, Rumford successfully negotiated his way through the USPGA Tour School but has found the going very tough in the US with just one top ten in 19 starts and that came in his very first event.
This is Rumford’s first 2008 European Tour event and may signal a desire to be back playing in Europe on a more regular basis.
Jimenez will start the event as the favourite given his standing in European golf and the game generally and that he has produced several high top finishes, if inconsistently at times, this season.
Bradley Dredge is a previous winner here and went very close last year after finishing one shot behind the playoff between Rumford and Phillip Archer. Like Jimenez, Dredge has been inconsistent for much of this season, mixing good finishes with bad but his 7th place last week in Scotland must have him as a serious chance on a golf course that clearly fits his eye.
Michael Campbell seems to have finally turned the corner, his very encouraging 8th place at the KLM Open immediately supported by a good 10th place last week in Scotland. Campbell has shown previously that he is a confidence player and now that he has some of that very important ingredient back, he could do well again.
In recent years Campbell has not played this event often and when he has he has performed poorly but earlier in his career he finished runner up in 2003 and 10th in 2002 so he knows his way around the Seve Ballesteros re-designed layout.
It is always difficult for a player to back up a win with another but maybe Gregory Havret could do just that. Havret had a long break between the Open Championship and his win last week so he will hardly be stale golf-wise and no doubt buoyed by the success last week.
Johan Edfors has played this event well on one or two occasions and did well last week when 19th in Scotland after a run of less than impressive weeks. He played well earlier in the season and might be on the verge of doing so again.
Robert Dinwiddie is having a very solid rookie season, having already safely retained his status with several good finishes. That he pre-qualified for, then made the cut at the US Open in his rookie season, further highlights the future the Englishman has in the game. He could do well.
The Australasian challenge is headed by Rumford and Campbell but the likes of Gareth Paddison, Marcus Fraser, Matthew Millar, Kane Webber, Peter Fowler, Scott Barr, Terry Pilkidaris and Steve Alker also get their chance. Webber is having a good season in Asia although not so much in recent months. He gets an invite to play this event.
