European Masters Preview, Picks & Analysis

WHEN Danny Willett won the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club 12 months ago, the world began to sit up and take notice of the young Englishman as he was beginning to make a habit of winning golf tournaments. But even Willett could not have imagined in his wildest dreams that within a few months Jordan Spieth would be helping him into the Green Jacket after a dramatic victory at The Masters.

The European Tour will be delighted that Willett has chosen to defend his title, because he is a golfer who needs to find some form before heading to Hazeltine for the Ryder Cup. Since that Masters success, his form has been pretty patchy, to say the very least and he could do with a good week. This might well be the venue where he rediscovers his confidence. 

It has been won in recent years by Miguel Angel Jimenez in 2010, by Thomas Bjorn in 2011 and 2013, by Richie Ramsay in 2012 and by the American David Lipsky in 2014.

But this tournament will forever be remembered for the victory by Seve Ballesteros way back in 1989 when he recorded a mind-boggling birdie at the final hole - he hit a wayward drive and despite the pleas of his caddie, Billy Foster, to chip the ball out into the middle of the fairway, Seve insisted that he could thread the ball over a swimming pool, through a tiny gap in the trees and onto the green. Foster gave up. Ballesteros then proceeded to play exactly the shot he had visualised.

Crans-sur-Sierre is a stunning course set in the Alps - during the winter, it is covered in snow and used by skiers. There have been many very low scores here and it remains the venue where we are most likely to see the first sub-60 score on the European Tour.

With the top nine in the Ryder Cup list now known, it means that for many of the Tour's top players, the pressure is off and they can focus on going out and enjoying themselves.

Chris Wood took his game to a new level when he won the BMW PGA championship in May and will be a member of Darren Clarke's Ryder Cup team. This is a golf course that favours accuracy and golfers who can putt. In other words, it is made for Wood, and he loves the place.

Lee Westwood, who won the European Masters way back in 1999, received one of Darren Clarke's wild card picks on Tuesday, which most expected to be formality The English veteran has had a decent season but still lacks a victory. Nobody would be surprised to see Westwood given the nod, and it is a certainty that he won't let Europe down, but he would much rather head across the Atlantic with a win under his belt.

Andy Sullivan has spent the summer grinding away trying to secure his place in the team. With the job done, you can expect to see Sullivan rediscover the form that gave him three victories last season. It has been a long battle for the English golfer and he is hugely relieved to have held on to his automatic qualification position. I now expect to see him win a couple of times between now and the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

The same applies to 21-year-old Matthew Fitzpatrick, already a two-time winner and, in your correspondent's humble opinion, the best young prospect in world golf.

This is the 70th anniversary of this tournament and former winner Jimenez is back for his 27th trip to Crans-Montana. He may now be a veteran of the Champions Tour, but Jimenez remains a formidable competitor and this is a relatively short course, so he will not be worried about being outdriven by the young guns.

Richie Ramsay is another former winner who has enjoyed a return to form recently. Now a father, the Scot seems to have had the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders. He is an underrated player with no weaknesses - when he putts well he is capable of beating anybody.

Look out, too, for the young American, Bryson DeChambeau. He plays the game his own way, with all his irons fitted with shafts that are the same length. DeChambeau has an idiosyncratic swing but insists that he is right and the rest of us have got it all wrong. "All my shafts are the length of a standard six iron," he says. "This means I can make the same swing with every single club." He has made a big impression in his early days as a tour professional -it remains to be seen whether, long term, he has what it takes to make the very top. But he is not short on confidence.

European Masters Picks & Tips

To Win: Danny Willett. Time to get back to winning ways

Each Way: Richie Ramsay. On the crest of a wave at last

Each Way: Andy Sullivan. The pressure is finally off

European Masters Fantasy Picks

Danny Willett. This could be a good week for Willett

Richie Ramsay. Has a new-found confidence

Andy Sullivan. Playing with a smile back on his face

Chris Wood. Can win anywhere

Matthew Fitzpatrick. Class act

Thomas Bjorn. Has great memories of this venue

Lee Westwood. Would love another win

Thorbjorn Olesen. Bitterly disappointed not to make Ryder Cup team

Soomin Lee. Fabulous prospect

Victor Dubuisson. Time to get going again