Omega European Masters 2026 preview picks analysis

Marco Penge is back in business with a bang. After a troubled spell on the PGA Tour, the big-hitting Englishman took a break from the game, and it has clearly done him the world of good.

After some sparkling golf at the British Masters, he will surely fancy his chances at this week’s Omega European Masters at the stunning Crans-sur-Sierre.

In December 2024, Penge received a three-month ban from competing in European Tour events for breaching the tour's "Integrity Programme" in relation to betting on golf tournaments.

From 2022 to 2023, he had placed bets with an average stake of £24. He made a profit of around £250 on these wagers, and the bookmaker subsequently notified the tour of his activity. None of Penge's bets were placed on tournaments in which he played.

After his return from suspension, Penge finished third at the South African Open in March. The following month, he shot 17-under 271 to win the Hainan Classic by three shots. It was his first victory on the DP World Tour.

He recorded his second win at the Danish Championship in August 2025. With the win, Penge moved to a new high of 73rd in the world rankings. In October, Penge recorded his third tournament victory of the year, beating Dan Brown in a playoff at the Open de Espana. It secured his place in the 2026 Masters and Open Championship and went a long way towards clinching his PGA Tour card for 2026.

Life in America has not worked out so far for Penge but he once again looks like the golfer we enjoyed watching last year.

Martin Couvra, the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year for 2025, will aim to enhance his burgeoning reputation when he competes at the European Masters.

The Frenchman, who won his maiden DP World Tour title in Turkey last year, discovered Crans-sur-Sierre for the first time last year as he made his debut at Switzerland's national open.

Couvra, who has several top tens this season, represents a new generation of European golf and the 23-year-old will look to further prove he is a player to watch and play his way into contention for his second victory as a professional.

Crans-sur-Sierre

Joining him in Crans-Montana will be Sergio Garcia, who won way back in 2005. The controversial Spaniard is set for his first appearance since 2019 as he bids to improve on an impressive record that includes three top tens alongside his victory.

Patrick Reed will make his second appearance at the tournament, 11 years after his last. In 2015 he finished 16th up the mountain, the same as his finishing position on that season's Race to Dubai, and now he returns looking to be crowned Europe's Number One.

He tops the Race to Dubai after winning the Hero Dubai Desert Classic and Qatar Masters this season and is set for a busy schedule as he looks to keep his challengers at bay.

Closest rival Rory McIlroy is chasing a fifth consecutive and record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai crown, while Reed's fellow two-time 2026 winners Jayden Schaper, Casey Jarvis and Eugenio Chacarra, along with major champions Ryan Fox and Aaron Rai will all have their eyes on the Harry Vardon Trophy.

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, winner of the 2025 edition, and England’s Matt Wallace, who claimed the title in 2024 before finishing tied second one year later, will tee it up this week.

Lawrence will return to the Swiss Alps as defending champion. Already a winner in Crans-Montana in 2022, the South African added a second Omega European Masters title in 2025, further strengthening his connection with one of the most iconic venues on the DP World Tour.

Another victory in 2026 would see him join a select group of three-time winners and write another chapter in the history of the Valais event.

Wallace also arrives with an outstanding record at Crans-sur-Sierre. The Englishman lifted the trophy in 2024 after a dramatic playoff victory on the Severiano Ballesteros course, before once again contending for the title in 2025 and finishing just two shots behind Lawrence.

A proven competitor on the international stage, Wallace was runner-up finish at the Valero Texas Open earlier in the year.

Twelve months ago, Lawrence put a thoroughly miserable year on the PGA Tour behind him by holding off defending champion Wallace to win the European Masters for the second time.

Lawrence gained a PGA Tour card for 2025 after finishing third in the Race to Dubai but he struggled from day one, making just six out of 18 cuts.

However, a return to the DP World Tour proved to be the perfect tonic.

"Winning is tough," Lawrence said. "It's not easy. I was so nervous all day. It always looks so easy, but it's not. I'm just so emotional, so happy. It's been a grind all day. I'm just so proud of the way I fought out there."

Originally played as the Swiss Open in 1923 and held at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club since 1948, the Omega European Masters is one of the most storied and historic national opens on the DP World Tour, having been on the schedule every year since the inaugural season of 1972 barring the Covid-affected campaign of 2020.

Seve Ballesteros is a three-time winner of the event and is joined on the trophy by the likes of Ian Woosnam, Sir Nick Faldo, José María Olazábal, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Luke Donald, Danny Willett and Matt Fitzpatrick.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 by Danny Willett, in 2016 by Alex Noren, in 2017 and 2018 by Matthew Fitzpatrick, in 2019 by Sebastian Soderberg, in 2021 by Rasmus Hojgaard, in 2022 by Thriston Lawrence, in 2023 by Ludvig Aberg and last year by Matt Wallace. There was no tournament in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The Course:

Crans-sur-Sierre is arguably the most beautiful golf course visited by the DP World Tour. Set in the Alps, it affords spectacular views. It is a par 70 measuring just 6,824 yards, which means that anybody with designs of victory here knows they are going to have to go low. The fairways are tree-lined, which means that accuracy from the tee is a requirement. This is a course that offers the chance for somebody to record a 59.

Form Guide:

Matt Wallace loves this venue and his positive memories of it could help to carry him to producing another fine week in the Swiss Alps.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $3.25m, with 5,000 Race to Dubai points going to the winner.

How to Watch:

Thursday, September 3, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Friday, September 4, Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm; Saturday, September 5, Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am; Sunday, September 6, Sky Sports Golf, 11.30am.