The Back 9 continues this week as the Omega European Masters presents players with their last chance to impress Team Europe Captain Luke Donald before he makes his picks for the Ryder Cup. Here are your five things to know.
Wallace defends his title
Matt Wallace arrives in Switzerland looking to defend his title after last year’s dramatic play-off win against Alfredo Garcia-Heredia. The 35-year-old has performed well in his last three trips to Crans-Montana, finishing second in 2022 and sealing a top 25 12 months later. He won last year’s tournament with the help of opening rounds of 64-62 en route to finishing 14th on the Race to Dubai, his best season-long finish for five years. The Englishman is looking to bounce back after a couple of disappointing Sundays but has made all seven of his DP World Tour cuts this season.
Last chance to impress
While Wallace spoke of returning to Switzerland with a "heavy heart" as he appeared to resign himself that he will miss out on a Ryder Cup Captain's Pick from Donald, there are some who will be out to impress the skipper this week. However, that will not be a concern for 2021 winner Rasmus Højgaard, who sealed the final automatic spot on Team Europe at last week's Betfred British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. Matt Fitzpatrick is a three-time Ryder Cupper and Major Champion who will be looking to continue a love affair with Crans-Montana this week. A two-time champion with three other top tens to his name in eight appearances at this event, there can be no better place for him to put on a show after registering five top tens in his last seven events worldwide. Fellow Englishmen Marco Penge - a two-time winner this season - and Aaron Rai will also be looking to stake their claims ahead of decision time for Donald on September 1.
Inside the Field
While many eyes will be on those looking for a place in the European Ryder Cup team, the planet's other continents are also well represented in a strong field. U.S. Open champion of 2023 Wyndham Clark could be teeing off up the mountain with a spring in his step on Thursday, with U.S skipper Keegan Bradley making his picks on Wednesday - Clark finished 17th in qualififcation and played in the biennial spectacular in 2023. He is joined by fellow PGA TOUR stars Patrick Rodgers and Erik van Rooyen and 11 winners from the 2025 Race to Dubai, including last week's winner and two-time champion at this event Alex Noren. Add in fellow former champions Danny Willett and Miguel Ángel Jiménez and we are all set for a spectacular show.
Au revoir MLV
This week sees Mike Lorenzo-Vera make his 285th and final DP World Tour appearance after a career that has seen him become one of the most popular and charismatic players on the continent. He made his debut in 2007, the same year he topped the HotelPlanner Tour Rankings, and while it took him a while to truly establish himself, he finished in the top 100 on the Race to Dubai for six consecutive seasons after a second graduation in 2014. A winner on the HotelPlanner Tour at the 2007 Grand Final, a DP World Tour victory has proven elusive, with a play-off defeat at the 2018 Rocco Forte Sicilian Open among his five runner-up finishes. Ever candid, Lorenzo-Vera revealed he was finding joy in the game again in January after takng a break for his mental health but will now call it a day after coming down from the clouds this week. MLV, it's been a blast - Bonne chance pour l'avenir!
Sustainability to the fore once more
The Omega European Masters has long been a leader in sustainability in golf and 2025 is set to see it continue that proud tradition. Since 2019, the event has worked closely with bloomUp agency and the GEO Foundation to advance its environmental, social and local economic goals. Certified by the GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf in 2022 and part of Switzerland Tourism's Swisstainable program, the OEM aligns its efforts on Swiss Golf and the 2030 Agenda of the Canton of Valais. As part of conservation efforts there are 31 birdboxes installed along the course, with plans to add more in the autumn. In these boxes, 32 bird species have been observed, including the Tufted Duck, which is on the Red List of Swiss breeding birds. A pair of white-fronted redstart, classified as potentially endangered, are also occupying one of the bird boxes. There are also a host of new initiatives this year including: offering on-site carbon financing options at ticket offices, repurposing more than 1000m2 of carpets, implementing a deposit system for glass bottles to reduce single-use packaging, the installation of additional metering systems on temporary infrastructure to improve water data management in sports and spectator areas and an increase in the number of electric vehicles on site.
