Out of the Rough: Omega European Masters (2025)

The 2025 PGA Tour season may have come to an end but there is still meaningful golf being played across the pond as the DP World Tour continues on.

The European based tour takes to Crans Montana, Switzerland for this week’s Omega European Masters at the stunning Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.

This event was first founded as the Swiss Open in 1923 and was first held at the Crans-sur-Sierre in 1939. This beautiful piece of golf-history has been the host of this event since.

The Omega European Masters has been a part of the DP World Tour since its inception in 1972.

The Field

As the 2025 PGA Tour season has come to a close, we’ll begin to see more-and-more regulars of that Tour playing golf on the DP World Tour during this later part of the season.

This is nothing new and not only has been a common practice of year’s past, but also a common practice of the entire season.

Of those PGA Tour regulars playing this week include Wyndham Clark, Patrick Rodgers, Erik van Rooyen, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nicolai Hojgaard, Rasmus Hojgaard, Alex Noren, Matt Wallace, Sami Valimaki, Thriston Lawrence and Matteo Manassero, among others.

Notable DP World Tour regulars teeing it up this week include John Parry, Keita Nakajima, Marco Penge, Haotong Li, Martin Couvra, Jordan Smith, Adrien Saddier, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Eugenio Chacarra. 

Wallace comes in as the defending champion, having won in a playoff over Alfredo Garcia-Heredia a season ago.

Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include Lawrence (2022,) Rasmus Hojgaard (2021,) Sebastian Soderberg (2019,) Fitzpatrick (2017 & 2018,) Alex Noren (2009 & 2016) and Danny Willett (2015.)

The Course

Crans-sur-Sierre is one of the most picturesque settings in the world of golf as it provides a spectacular view of the Crans Montana mountain range at all times.

The course plays as a par 70 at 6,824 yards

Although the course was established in 1908, it has been tweaked and modified significantly throughout its life.

In 1999, a redesign was spearheaded by Seve Ballesteros. Another set of changes came in 2013 as four holes (10,12, 13 and 17) were addressed. 

The biggest change that came in 2013 was to the par-three 13th hole. Lakes were added in front of the green and a seating area was added behind it.

Further changes were made to holes one, two, four, five, nine and 14 in 2014. 

The fairways and fairway bunkers were remodeled for holes one, two and four. The tee of the par-four fifth hole was moved back 25 yards, making the hole a no longer driveable par-four.

The ninth hole was completely remodeled with changes to the fairways and bunkers. The green and green complex were made to be completely new as well.

Unlike most tracks on the DP World Tour’s rotation that are known for their difficult final stretch of holes, the real challenge this week comes at the start.

The first hole was once a very easy par-five here at the Crans-sur-Sierre but was changed to a par-four eight years ago. It now plays as the hardest hole on the course.

Holes two, three and four continue the difficult start as they rank fifth, third and second in terms of difficulty on the course respectively. 

All of the fairways at Crans-sur-Sierre are sloped and are mostly tree lined. They are also average in terms of width when it comes to DP World Tour standards.

The greens also add to the challenge of this course as they are small and shaped like upturned-saucers.

Water is in-play on six holes this week as well. Those holes include ten, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18.

Holes six and seven are short, driveable par fours.

The par-five 14th hole plays as the easiest hole on the course seeing 30 eagles recorded across all four days a year ago.

As this course sits at altitude, it does not play anywhere near the already short distance listed on the scorecard.

Therefore, there will be no need for driving distance this week and instead, will favor the fairway finders of the tour.

Since 2014, the winning score has been either -17 to -19 in six of the ten events.

In all, finding these small greens in regulation will be the key to victory. Golfers who do miss these small screens will have to get up-and-down to keep pace, adding an emphasis to scrambling.

Additionally, course form holds true here to this unique and quirky track.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday currently calls for a 50-percent chance of precipitation as the rest of the week calls for a 25-percent chance. Temperatures will begin at 63-degrees on Thursday before slowly decreasing to 60-degrees come Saturday and peaking at 65-degrees on Sunday. Winds are set to not exceed four miles-per-hour on either day. 

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Scrambling

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Accuracy

• Par 3 Average Scoring

• Par 4 Average Scoring

• Birdie or Better Percentage

• Bogey Avoidance

Betting Card

Matt Fitzpatrick (+900)

Full transparency, I boosted Fitzpatrick to roughly +1400 this week but am all onboard with playing him at +900. On the DP World Tour he is currently fourth in SG: PUTT, tenth in birdie-or-better percentage, 14th in scrambling, 23rd in SG: APP, 25th in SG: OTT, 29th in par-four average scoring, 44th in GIR%, 61st in bogey avoidance, 62nd in par-three average scoring and 127th in driving accuracy. He placed sixth last week at the Betfred British Masters on the DP World Tour. Prior to that he placed 17th at the BMW Championship, 32nd at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, eighth at the Wyndham Championship, fourth at The Open Championship, fourth at the Genesis Scottish Open and eighth at the Rocket Classic on the PGA Tour. He finished T27th at this event a season ago, T3rd in 2023, T69th in 2019, won in both 2018 and 2017, T7th in 2016 and second in 2015. 

Francesco Laporta (+4500)

Laporta has fallen out of form a bit as of late after a rather impressive stretch on the DP World Tour not that long ago. He missed the cut in his last two outings at the Betfred British Masters and Nexo Championship but prior to that placed 50th at the Genesis Scottish Open, seventh at the BMW International Open, tenth at the Italian Open, seventh at the KLM Open, 27th at the Alpine Austrian Open and 11th at the Soudal Open. He placed T27th here a season ago and T16th in 2022. He is currently fifth on Tour in par-three average scoring, seventh in bogey avoidance, eighth in both scrambling and par-four average scoring, 14th in driving accuracy, 19th in SG: OTT, 34th in GIR%, 35th in SG: APP, 50th in birdie-or-better percentage and 77th in SG: PUTT. 

Jason Scrivener (+15000)

Scrivener has found some form as of late. He placed 24th last week at the Betfred British Masters, 12th at the Danish Golf Championship, 42nd at the Nexo Championship and eighth at the Barracuda Championship. He finished T4th here a season ago and T36th in 2023. Scrivener is currently 22nd on Tour in par-four average scoring, 23rd in driving accuracy, 26th in bogey avoidance, 51st in scrambling, 61st in SG: APP, 62nd in par-three average scoring, 67th in GIR%, 75th in SG: OTT, 90th in SG: PUTT and 142nd in birdie-or-better percentage.