Always a well loved event by players and their better halves, the European Masters descends once again or should I say ascends to Crans Montana in Southern Switzerland. With no event last year, Sebastian Soderburg defends from 2019. It's a wide open event this week with plenty of value about and having pondered over my shortlist yesterday (23 players!) I have deduced that the best plan of attack is to get a few of these into the staking plan as possible, mixing some that seem to be coming into form and sticking with one or two that I've gone with recently.
As with Kevin Kisner, I once again have decided to stick with Jacques Kruyswijk again this week despite a lacklustre Sunday effort last week in Prague. His price has drifted out and simply put has to be backed again given his recent form....yes, perhaps he's not an out & out winner, but the form can't be ignored and at the price he could very well give us a run for our money and outplay those odds here.Perhaps he's drifted due to his only appearance here to date resulted in a MC when shooting 74-75, but he's a much improved player these days and is having a solid 2021. Given his 8 starts on the Europeantour in 2021, the Saffer has posted 2 T-5s from his 7 T-20s of which a further 3 of those were T-10s.Those results 8 results yielded finishes of 7-11-10-17-25-7-5-5 At 66/1 - 7 places he has to be kept on side again this week.
Brandon Stone flew out of the blocks in Prague last Sunday and looked all set for place money on his 72nd hole before he duly ruined my day but hitting water with his approach and dropping 2 shots to miss out.Not to be but he should take the positives from a very good week,having nabbed his 3rd T-20 in 12 starts. Like his compatriot though, his only visit here to date resulted in a MC also (75-73) so I'm looking for both players to start better this week for sure. He is must bet @ 100/1 - 7 places here for me
Keeping the South African team together for the assault this week and probably the best player of the South Africans to tee it up here is Justin Harding @ 33/1 - 6 places. I made Justin 25s here despite this being his debut at Crans, but Soderburg proved that it shouldn't be a deterrent. From his 19 starts on this tour in 2021, Harding has a win with the 9 T-20s posted, that win coming way back in the year in Kenya. If we do look at recent form though, he did lose a playoff to Nacho Elvira at Celtic Manor the week after posting a T-20 at The Open. Hes well rested, maybe too much having not played since the visit to Galgorm Castle at the end of July but he's a player I like a lot and Crans should be his cup of tea.
Marcus Armitage and Matthew Jordan were of big interest to me this week, but whether there is enough +ev in their prices I'm not sure. Armitage is best price 55/1 - 5 places as I write and wouldn't be a bet but should he drift to 66s I would. However, Jordan @ 80/1 - 8 places gets the nod, just! After an indifferent start to 2021, the Englishman has settled down a bit and started to post some decent results since the BMW International where he finished 17th and he took that form onto Mount Juliet to post 12th, before heading to Scotland for his third successive T-20. Two MCs in his next events was followed up by a T-10 at Fairmont before a T47th last time out The London GC. The price just about gives me some value for a player that may well find Crans suitable with the extra places available.
It's been a very quiet 2021 for Alexander Bjork although he is 11/14 with 4 T-10s posted. Last seen at The Renaissance Club where he posted an eye catching 63 in rd-3, Bjork has been honing up back in Sweden of late posting 66-64 to win a tournament at The Sand GC. He's a quality player, having only won once on tour todate which is a little surprising, but @ 75/1 - 5 places I'm having an interest in a player that really should be kicking on now into his 30s and he may be worth following over the next while.
Selections:
1 pt e/w J. Kruyswijk @ 66/1 - 7 places
0.75 pts e/w B. Stone @ 100/1 - 7 places
0.75 pts e/w M. Jordan @ 80/1 - 8n places
0.75 pts e/w A. Bjork @ 75/1 - 5 places
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