Matthew Fitzpatrick only missed out on winning the tournament at the Omega European Masters in Crans-Montana a year ago on the last few holes
Image: Keystone
Matt Fitzpatrick triumphed in Crans for the first time in 2017 (photo), one year later he celebrated his second tournament victory in Valais
Image: Keystone
Rory McIlroy (right) came close to winning the tournament in Crans-Montana in 2018 and 2019. Tournament Director Yves Mittaz wants to bring the superstar from Northern Ireland back to the Omega European Masters in the near future
Image: Keystone
Joel Girrbach (30) from Thurgau qualified for the first time on his own with his tour card for the top Swiss tournament, where he was regularly allowed to take part and used to watch the stars with big eyes as a child
Image: Keystone
Tournament director Yves Mittaz is hoping for lots of spectators this week - perhaps even more than the usual 50,000 will turn up
Image: Keystone
Matthew Fitzpatrick only missed out on winning the tournament at the Omega European Masters in Crans-Montana a year ago on the last few holes
Image: Keystone
Matt Fitzpatrick triumphed in Crans for the first time in 2017 (photo), one year later he celebrated his second tournament victory in Valais
Image: Keystone
Rory McIlroy (right) came close to winning the tournament in Crans-Montana in 2018 and 2019. Tournament Director Yves Mittaz wants to bring the superstar from Northern Ireland back to the Omega European Masters in the near future
Image: Keystone
Joel Girrbach (30) from Thurgau qualified for the first time on his own with his tour card for the top Swiss tournament, where he was regularly allowed to take part and used to watch the stars with big eyes as a child
Image: Keystone
Tournament director Yves Mittaz is hoping for lots of spectators this week - perhaps even more than the usual 50,000 will turn up
Image: Keystone
Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick, winner of the 2022 US Open, leads the field of 156 professional golfers competing in the Omega European Masters in Crans-Montana from Thursday.
05.09.2024, 04:02
05.09.2024, 06:54
SDA
Fitzpatrick is a crowd favorite on the Valais high plateau and the first contender for the winner's check of 553,500 dollars. This is the eighth time he has competed on the Valais high plateau. The total prize money amounts to 3.25 million dollars.
Fitzpatrick, the 28-year-old professional from Sheffield, has just shown fans at the Swiss tournament on the European Tour what he is capable of. He won in Valais in 2017 and 2018. Before him, no player had managed to win twice in a row at the tradition-steeped tournament for 40 years.
Fitzpatrick's predecessor was Severiano Ballesteros, who won in 1977 and 1978. The great Spaniard, who died of a brain tumor in 2011 at the age of 54, will always be associated with the tournament. Ballesteros redesigned the former "Plan Bramois" course as an architect in the mid-1990s. Since then, the par-70 course has borne his name and is one of the most spectacular and beautiful courses in the world. "Seve" Ballesteros won for the third and last time in Crans-Montana in 1989. Matthew Fitzpatrick could draw level this week after looking like a sure winner a year ago, only to be caught by young Swede Ludvig Aberg in the last four holes.
Last year's winner missing
The 24-year-old Aberg will be missing this time in Crans-Montana. Nevertheless, Aberg is a good reason for Swiss golf fans to come and watch the tournament this week. The young Swede won his first professional tournament in Crans a year ago. He was subsequently named to Europe's Ryder Cup team thanks to his success at the Omega European Masters and is now ranked 5th in the world.
Golf stars have often and regularly been discovered in Crans-Montana. The list of winners includes names such as Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Craig Stadler, José Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia. Because the US PGA Tour final is now and will continue to be held in the week before the Omega European Masters, tournament director Yves Mittaz is hoping for future coups. Mittaz wants to bring superstar Rory McIlroy back to Crans in the near future.
But even without Aberg and still without McIlroy, the Swiss top tournament has an outstanding line-up. Ten players from the top 100 in the world rankings will tackle the first round on Thursday. Four of the top ten in the annual ranking of the European Tour (official name: DP World Tour) will start in Valais.
Girrbach's chance
Despite all the progress made in recent years: The Swiss golfers are tackling the tournament as outsiders. Joel Girrbach, who made a good impression among the world's best at the Olympic Games a month ago, and Benjamin Rusch qualified on their own merits. The two men from Thurgau earned their tour card for the European Tour this year. And at least Girrbach should be able to play again next year. With a good result at his home tournament, he could secure his tour card early - and keep himself in the running to play in the season finale of the DP World Tour in November.
In addition to Girrbach and Rusch, three Swiss professionals and three amateurs will be competing at the home tournament with an invitation. The last time a Swiss player competed for the tournament victory in Crans-Montana was 16 years ago with Julien Clément. Clément finished third behind Frenchman Jean-François Lucquin and Rory McIlroy.
The Swiss have one thing in their favor this week: they know the course in Crans-Montana inside out and will certainly have the support of the spectators. The organizers hope that the good weather and the upswing in Swiss golf will attract even more than the usual 50,000 spectators to the tournament.
