DP World Tour : Omega European Masters..Tee Times
The Back 9 continues this week as the DP World Tour heads up the mountain to the beautiful Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club for the Omega European Masters.
Lawrence defends
Thriston Lawrence claimed an emotional victory as he pulled himself out of a slump in form to win a second title at this event 12 months ago.
Playing his first season as a dual member with the PGA TOUR, he arrived in Switzerland 98th on the Race to Dubai but found his form in spectacular fashion. The South African went into the final round with a one-shot lead but made a bogey-bogey-bogey start to surrender his advantage and fall two behind.
An eagle-birdie run on the driveable sixth and seventh then got him back on track, however, and he added four further birdies for a two-shot victory.
An emotional Lawrence said: "Winning is tough. It's not easy. I was so nervous all day. It always looks so easy but it's not. I'm just so emotional, so happy. It's been a grind all day. Obviously after that start - I tried to give the guys a chance there! But yeah, I'm just so proud of the way I fought out there. Credit to my team and all my sponsors. I'm just so happy."
Back 9 continues
Phase Two of the season continues this week after getting started at last week's Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. Joe Dean lifted the trophy at The Belfry in an event which started in 1946, with this one predating it by 23 years.
Next week we head to the Amgen Irish Open before the Rolex Series returns at the BMW PGA Championship.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is then sandwiched between two national opens in the FedEx Open de France and Open de España, before the DP World India Championship and Genesis Championship in Korea end the Back 9.
At the end of Phase Two, the top 70 players on the Race to Dubai Rankings will head to the Play-Offs, while the top 100 will secure full playing privileges for next season. It is All to Play For.
History in the mountains
This week's event began as the Swiss Open and is the 13th of 16 national opens on the DP World Tour schedule this season.
It was first held at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in 1948 and has been held there every year since, joining events such as the Hong Kong Open and Masters to be held at the same venue throughout the Tour's history.
It was part of the inaugural schedule in 1972 and has featured every year since barring the Covid-affected campaign of 2020.
Tournament ambassador Miguel Ángel Jiménez has played in 35 of those editions - missing just 2015 since his debut in 1989 - and will this week make his 725th DP World Tour appearance, one behind all-time leader David Howell, who said recently: "If Miguel ends up taking the record it's more than fitting because he's been an absolute legend for our Tour and still plays good golf. I'm sure he's going to overtake me."
Inside the field
As well as Lawrence and Jiménez, there are a host of recent winners battling to take home the trophy. Race to Dubai Rankings leader Patrick Reed will be looking to extend his advantage before closest challenger Rory McIlroy returns to action next week, and he is joined by fellow Masters champions Danny Willett and Sergio Garcia.
Fellow multiple winners in the 2026 season Jayden Schaper, Casey Jarvis and Eugenio Chacarra are also in action along with Ryder Cup winning brothers Rasmus and Nicolai Højgaard.
Add in former winner Matt Wallace, fellow Englishman Marco Penge and in-from PGA TOUR star Ryan Gerard and we should be in for a week to remember.
europeantour.com
Bryan Angus (edit)
