Andrew's Swiss Challenge (HPT) Preview

I think we were all surprised by how much tougher Isla Canela played in May than it has for Q-school events in October, and the talented and accurate Ryan van Velzen took advantage of the conditions to win by a couple of shots. With Wil Besseling and Dan Erickson behind him, it was a week for quality approach play over everything. Our win-only pick Pablo Ereno could only manage seventh, but showed his quality by hitting a course record 63 (matched by van Velzen) on Saturday. Both will be worth following on the DPWT next year, especially at the numerous courses that favour accuracy over length. It was frustrating to miss van Velzen’s win having been on him the previous week, but I’m delighted to see him living up to the talent he’s only showed intermittently since turning professional. Let’s get into this week’s action.

The Tournament

I looked at this event last year, when it returned to Golf Sempach and thus to Switzerland, having been inexplicably across the French border for many years. As well as last year’s tournmanent, won by Felix Mory in a playoff over Santiago Tarrio (at -12,) we have the years from 2010 to 2019 to examine, and the impression is clear – this is a venue where accuracy is critical, in particular from the tee, and where putting will be decisive. We’re just outside of Lucerne and thus at a bit of altitude (around 500m) on an undulating course in the northern foothills of the Alps. We’re still very close to France, and to Austria as well, so plenty of golfers will be on familiar ground.

This is not a dissimilar course from last week’s DPWT event in Austria, in truth, and I think we can expect something similar in terms of the sort of player who’ll succeed and the sort of score to expect. As in that event, local knowledge will be essential and at this level I’m always looking for players who’ll benefit from the huge advantage of playing close to home. That said, we haven’t seen a Swiss winner since Joel Girbach in 2017. Fortunately, the weather should still be good despite the European heatwave from last week breaking; there’ll be a fair amount of rain in the buildup but other than Thursday evening we’re expecting it to be dry and calm.

The Selections

First on my list is Matthias Schwab, and this is a difficult call. You can make the a case that the Austrian is among the most talented amateurs Europe has had in recent years – a star at Vanderbilt, finalist at Troon in The Amateur, twice third in the NCAAs, and, soon after, 17^th on the Race to Dubai in 2019. Since then, things have been rockier, and he lost his PGA status in 2023 and his DPWT status in 2025. This year he’s been ordinary at best on the HPT, but he missed the cut on the number in his (DPWT) national open last week, and this test of accuracy and short game, close to home, will suit him ideally. Calling the bottom of a years-long slump is a risky proposition, but I would much rather have Matthias onside than against me at a very appealing price.

A more orthodox pick, Julien Brun is having a solid season and showing improving form back on the HPT, making the cut in all six starts, with last week’s 16^th his best finish yet. At the DPWT level he’s got top tens at the Belfry, Mont Choisy (Mauritius) and Muthiaga (Kenya,) whilst he was fifth in this event when held in Saint Apollinaire in 2021. He’s from Cagnes, not far away on the French Mediterranean coast, and he’s a short-game specialist who’ll enjoy this tight test and can add a fourth career Challenge Tour win en route to a return to the DPWT.

Third and finally, I’m taking an old friend in Julian Perico, who I think will thoroughly enjoy this test. An altitude native from Peru, the conditions will be no challenge and he proved in 2025 that he is more than good enough to compete at this level, with five top-ten finishes (including a playoff loss in Hangzhou that still haunts me.) He was third in Durban this year and played well enough in a pair of Asian Tour events before missing the cut in Catalunya. This shorter, tighter test is right up his street and he can build on last year’s 17^th to compete here.

It was hard to leave out Marc Hammer, who has returned from the Asian Tour and might just be able to live up to his amateur status, and has looked good here. At the other end of the experience scale, Marc Warren also made the longlist, as did Alpine Italian Lorenzo Scalise.

• Matthias Schwab, 225/1

• Julien Brun, 33/1

• Julian Perico, 55/1

All 1pt e/w, 1/4 odds 5 places, Bet365