European Masters 2025 Betting Tips: Hojgaard to go one better in Switzerland

Alex Noren entered the winner’s circle for the first time in seven years at The Belfry, producing a superb 12-under-par weekend to beat Nicolai Hojgaard and Kazuma Kobori into second place and win the Betfred British Masters.

It was a week in which the Ryder Cup dominated conversation – with Rasmus Hojgaard securing a debut appearance with that sixth and final automatic qualifying spot – and Noren has now thrown his name into the wildcard mix following his victory.

Players have one last chance to impress captain Luke Donald, and it comes at one of the DP World Tour’s most iconic stops, as an exciting field descends on the Swiss Alps and the magnificent Crans-sur-Sierre for the Omega European Masters this week. Check out Jamie's thoughts and his European Masters 2025 Betting Tips below...

Formerly named the Swiss Open, the Omega European Masters was first held in 1905 and pre-dates the DP World Tour’s creation in 1972. It has been a permanent fixture on the schedule since and is staged at one of the most spectacular locations in the world: Crans-sur-Sierre, high in the Swiss Alps.

This is a tournament synonymous with the great Seve Ballesteros. The legendary Spanish golfer won this event more than anyone else in the DP World Tour era, claiming three victories (1977, 1978, 1989), but he also redesigned the course.

A further six players have won multiple European Masters titles: Hugh Baiocchi (1973, 1979), Manuel Pinero (1976, 1981), Eduardo Romero (1994, 2000), Thomas Bjorn (2011, 2013), Alex Noren (2009, 2016) and Matt Fitzpatrick (2017, 2018).

Last five winners:

• 2024

Winner: Matt Wallace (-11, playoff)

Runner-up: Alfredo Garcia-Heredia (-11)

• 2023

Winner: Ludvig Aberg (-19)

Runner-up: Alexander Bjork (-17)

• 2022

Winner: Thriston Lawrence (-18, playoff)

Runner-up: Matt Wallace (-18)

• 2021

Winner: Rasmus Hojgaard (-13)

Runner-up: Bernd Wiesberger (-12)

• 2019

Winner: Sebastian Soderberg (-14, playoff)

Runners-up: Rory McIlroy, Kalle Samooja, Andres Romero, Lorenzo Gagli (-14)

Matt Wallace returns as our defending champion. The Englishman entered last year’s final round with a four-shot lead but after stalling on Sunday, he needed to survive a playoff against journeyman Alfredo Garcia-Heredia. He composed himself commendably in the playoff, birdying the first extra hole to claim his fifth DP World Tour victory.

THE COURSE

The original course at Crans-sur-Sierre was designed by Harry Nicholson in 1928. It underwent an extensive renovation by Seve Ballesteros in the ‘90s and following subsequent tweaks, it was renamed the 'Severiano Ballesteros Course'.

This diminutive par-70 course measures just 6823yds. However, positioned at high altitude of around 5000ft above sea level – in which the ball travels 5.8% further in the thinner air – it will play closer to 6430yds. It possesses five par 3s (175-200 yards), 10 par 4s (324-530 yards) and three par 5s (552-633 yards).

Surrounded by views of the Alps throughout, this is not only one of the most breathtaking courses on the DP World Tour, but one of the most picturesque in all of professional golf.

This tight, tree-lined course is heavily sloped, featuring frequent and often dramatic elevation changes. With water in-play on six holes – creating several risk/reward opportunities – it is a strategic yet fun layout, averaging a winning score of -15.8 across the last 10 renewals.

Fairways aren’t especially narrow, but with regular doglegs and trees hugging the driving lines, it certainly feels tight, bordering on claustrophobic in places. They’re strategically bunkered and require players to position the ball smartly off the tee to open up the best angle of attack into the putting surfaces.

The small greens use a bentgrass/poa mix and are predominantly crowned, designed to reject inaccurate approaches at their edges. They are well protected, with a mixture of deep greenside bunkers, tightly-mown chipping areas, and thick rough combining for the 10^th-toughest scrambling test on the DP World Tour.

Crans-sur-Sierre is littered with scoring chances but the majority of them come with danger attached.

There are a number of potentially drivable par 4s, including arguably the most famous hole at the venue – the 331yd 7th. With the Alps providing a stunning panoramic backdrop, players will tee off from an extremely elevated tee box. Out-of-bounds lurks long and bunkers/thick rough surrounds the tiny green, meaning a birdie is no guarantee.

The par 5s are gettable but hazardous and whilst many of the closing holes look like birdie chances, it doesn’t take much to amass bogeys.

That is true of the deceptively tricky 402yd par-4 18th. Although the final fairway is generous, it slopes heavily from left-to-right, bringing the large bunkers to the right of the fairway into play. Find the short grass and the players will then need to coax an approach into the final green, which slopes harshly in places and is guarded by water.

It provides a nervy ending for one of the absolute best weeks of golf on the calendar, and I look forward to witnessing these players tackle Crans-sur-Sierre again this week.

THE WEATHER

As is often the case at this time of year, rain is going to have a significant impact on how the course plays. It’s forecast to be wet in the buildup but is at its worst in Thursday’s opening round, with as much as 30mm of rain forecast to fall.

It isn’t quite as heavy in the following days and with little wind in the forecast, this receptive golf course should see low scores from Friday to Sunday.

KEY STATS

• SG: Approach/Greens-in-Regulation

The long game is always vital at Crans and with the conditions that are predicted this week, those best equipped to attack the soft greens will have the advantage.

Matt Wallace relied on other areas to win here last year, but each of his four closest challengers ranked inside the top 25 in greens-in-regulation (GIR), whilst runner-up and fourth-place finishers, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Jason Scrivener, ranked 17th and first in approach, respectively.

Our 2023 winner Ludvig Aberg ranked first in approach and second in GIR; 2022 champion Thriston Lawrence also ranked first in approach; the top three in 2021 all ranked inside the top 12 with their irons.

• SG: Off-the-Tee and/or Driving Accuracy

This is a venue that requires thought off the tee and whilst we’ve seen all types contend, poor, wayward drivers of the ball should be avoided.

Matt Wallace ranked 11th off-the-tee (OTT) last season and was seventh in driving accuracy. Third-place finisher Andrew Johnston ranked seventh OTT and fourth in driving accuracy, and in fourth place, Cedric Gugler ranked first OTT and 14th in driving accuracy.

Ludvig Aberg ranked second OTT when he won in 2023, as runner-up Alexander Bjork ranked first in driving accuracy. Meanwhile, in 2021 Rasmus Hojgaard ranked third OTT and second in driving accuracy.

• Birdie Average

You’ll get left behind if you don’t make birdies here and we often see low scores throughout the week. Therefore, those who rank high in birdie average are respected.

CORRELATING EVENTS (COURSES)

BMW PGA Championship (Wentworth Golf Club)

Wentworth Golf Club’s twisting, tree-lined fairways and small, elevated bentgrass greens combine to produce a tee-to-green test similar to what players will face at Crans. This has historically created strong form ties between these respective events.

Notable correlating form:

Danny Willett:

European Masters (1st, 2nd) / BMW PGA (1st, 3rd, 5th)

Alex Noren:

European Masters (1st) / BMW PGA (1st, 3rd)

Thriston Lawrence:

European Masters (1st) / BMW PGA (2nd)

Lucas Bjerregaard:

European Masters (2nd) / BMW PGA (3rd)

Tyrrell Hatton:

European Masters (3rd, 3rd, 3rd) / BMW PGA (1st, 2nd)

Andrew Johnston:

European Masters (3rd, 3rd) / BMW PGA (6th, 7th, 9th)

Alejandro Canizares:

European Masters (4th) / BMW PGA (4th)

Antoine Rozner:

European Masters (4th) / BMW PGA (7th)

Hideto Tanihara:

European Masters (6th) / BMW PGA (3rd)

Thongchai Jaidee:

European Masters (9th, 9th) / BMW PGA (2nd)

BMW International Open (Golfclub Munchen Eichenried)

Golfclub Munchen Eichenried is another tree-lined course with bentgrass greens that compares closely to this week’s layout from a statistical perspective, especially in tee-to-green difficulty.

Notable correlating form:

Thriston Lawrence:

European Masters (1st) / BMW International (1st)

Matt Fitzpatrick:

European Masters (1st, 1st, 2nd) / BMW International (2nd)

Matt Wallace:

European Masters (1st, 2nd) / BMW International (3rd)

Andres Romero:

European Masters (2nd) / BMW International (1st)

Edoardo Molinari:

European Masters (2nd) / BMW International (3rd)

Bernd Wiesberger:

European Masters (2nd) / BMW International (4th, 5th)

Connor Syme:

European Masters (3rd) / BMW International (4th)

Scott Jamieson:

European Masters (4th) / BMW International (3rd)

Jorge Campillo:

European Masters (4th) / BMW International (3rd)

Darren Fichardt:

European Masters (6th, 8th) / BMW International (5th, 7th)

Soudal Open/Belgian Knockout (Rinkven International)

Rinkven International is a short and densely tree-lined layout with bentgrass greens. It has many risk/reward holes, drivable par 4s and the demands on ball-striking are of a similar level to Crans.

Notable correlating form:

Thriston Lawrence:

European Masters (1st) / Soudal (4th)

Alexander Bjork:

European Masters (2nd) / Soudal (4th)

Mike Lorenzo-Vera:

European Masters (3rd, 6th) / Soudal (4th)

Nacho Elvira:

European Masters (4th, 9th) / Soudal (1st)

Matthew Jordan:

European Masters (4th) / Soudal (5th)

Guido Migliozzi:

European Masters (7th, 8th) / Belgian Knockout (1st)

Oliver Bekker:

European Masters (8th) / Soudal (4th)

Betfred British Masters/UK Championship (The Belfry – Brabazon Course)

The Belfry’s Brabazon Course is much flatter than Crans. That said, as a strategic, tree-lined course with its fair share of risk/reward holes, poa/bentgrass greens and a demanding scrambling test, the two courses have developed strong correlating form.

Notable correlating form:

Alex Noren:

European Masters (1st) / British Masters (1st)

Rasmus Hojgaard:

European Masters (1st) / UK Championship (1st)

Thriston Lawrence:

European Masters (1st) / British Masters (2nd)

Sebastian Soderberg:

European Masters (1st) / British Masters (2nd)

Richie Ramsay:

European Masters (1st) / British Masters (3rd)

Bernd Wiesberger:

European Masters (2nd) / British Masters (5th)

Connor Syme:

European Masters (3rd) / British Masters (3rd)

Jorge Campillo:

European Masters (4th) / British Masters/UK Championship (6th, 7th)

Nicolai Hojgaard:

European Masters (5th) / British Masters (2nd)

Guido Migliozzi:

European Masters (7th, 8th) / British Masters (2nd)

Kenya Open (Muthaiga Golf Club)

As a tight tree-lined course with small bentgrass greens and situated at high altitude, Muthaiga Golf Club can prove a helpful comp this week.

Notable correlating form:

Thriston Lawrence:

European Masters (1st) / Kenya (2nd)

Connor Syme:

European Masters (3rd) / Kenya (7th)

Jorge Campillo:

European Masters (4th) / Kenya (1st)

Nacho Elvira:

European Masters (4th, 9th) / Kenya (2nd)

Matthew Jordan:

European Masters (4th) / Kenya (4th)

Ashun Wu:

European Masters (6^th, 9^th) / Kenya (1st)

Masahiro Kawamura:

European Masters (8th, 9th) / Kenya (2nd)

Indian Open (DLF Golf & Country Club – Player Course)

DLF Golf & Country Club’s Player Course is a quirky, tree-lined setup with frequent, striking elevation changes and is incredibly challenging around the greens.

Notable correlating form:

Matt Wallace:

European Masters (1st, 2nd) / India (1st)

Sebastian Soderberg:

European Masters (1st) / India (2nd)

Andrew Johnston:

European Masters (3rd, 3rd) / India (2nd)

Jorge Campillo:

European Masters (4th) / India (3rd, 4^th)

Scott Jamieson:

European Masters (4th) / India (3rd)

Masahiro Kawamura:

European Masters (8th, 9th) / India (2nd)

THE FIELD

An exciting field has assembled for this week’s Omega European Masters, including 13 of the world’s top 100. American Wyndham Clark will make his debut in the event and is the top-ranked player at No. 27.

He is followed by last week’s British Masters winner Alex Noren (No. 31), and the field is full of players hopeful of picking up a Ryder Cup wildcard pick, including Aaron Rai (No. 32), Matt Fitzpatrick (No. 34) and Marco Penge (No. 65).

Among those Ryder Cup hopefuls is this week’s defending champion Matt Wallace. He is joined by seven further former winners: Thriston Lawrence (2022), Rasmus Hojgaard (2021), Sebastian Soderberg (2019), Matt Fitzpatrick (2018, 2017), Alex Noren (2016, 2009), Danny Willett (2015) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (2010).

Patrick Rodgers sticks around in Europe for a debut at Crans-sur-Sierre; LIV’s Paul Casey tees it up in the event for the first time since 2013; and Sweden’s Alexander Bjork makes his first start since the Ras Al Khaimah Championship back in January.

*You can check out the latest European Masters Odds and bet on this event over on betfred.com

SELECTIONS

Market leaders (1/4 5 places): Matt Fitzpatrick 9/1, Aaron Rai 12/1, Alex Noren 14/1, Marco Penge 18/1, Nicolai Hojgaard 18/1, Rasmus Hojgaard 20/1, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen 20/1

2.5 pts Nicolai Hojgaard each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 18/1

Inspired by Rasmus securing his place on the Ryder Cup team last week, Nicolai Hojgaard will be desperate to book his return to the event after featuring in 2023.

Back at a course where he finished fifth when chasing a Ryder Cup spot two years ago, and fresh from an excellent runner-up finish at The Belfry, he’s my headline selection on a week where the Ryder Cup is sure to dominate the narrative.

Nicolai has been largely consistent this season, but right now he appears to be at the peak of his powers. He’s made each of his last six cuts, recording consecutive finishes of 24th in the Rocket Classic, fourth in the Scottish Open and 14th in The Open, and he arrives here after his best individual display of 2025, shooting a pair of 67s over the weekend to finish second in last week’s British Masters.

He hit the ball brilliantly there, ranking second off-the-tee and 12th in approach. Indeed, his iron play has been superb all season, ranking fourth in greens-in-regulation and ninth in approach on the PGA Tour. Meanwhile, he’s been almost faultless with the driver since the beginning of April, ranking third in this field over that time.

Hojgaard finished a solid 29th on his Crans debut in 2022, before producing that excellent fifth-place finish in 2023. Although he missed the cut last year, that second-place finish last week bodes well and he certainly has much in his favour to stake a late claim for a Ryder Cup pick.

1.25 pts Keita Nakajima each-way (1/5 6 places) @ 40/1

Four of the last five editions of the European Masters have been won by debutants. Having shown a return to form in last week’s British Masters, classy Japanese youngster Keita Nakajima can add his name to that list.

Nakajima enjoyed a fine start to this season, recording back-to-back second-place finishes in the Singapore Classic and Indian Open across his first six starts. He wasn’t able to maintain that, missing five of his next nine cuts and recording just two top-50s, but he left his underwhelming recent form behind to finish an impressive fourth at The Belfry.

The former No. 1 amateur showed quality throughout the bag there, ranking ninth from tee-to-green and sixth in putting. He hit the ball with precision, ranking fourth in driving accuracy and was inside the top 20 in approach and greens-in-regulation.

That all-round quality is something that Nakajima has displayed throughout his short DP World Tour career, gaining strokes in every area in 2024. It’s that accurate ball-striking that catches the eye in relation to this test and having finished 1^st and 2^nd on his only starts in the Indian Open, I believe he’s ideally suited to the nuances of this week’s course.

1 pt Alex Fitzpatrick each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 55/1

Alex Fitzpatrick returned to form in approach last week after a disappointing spell, helping him to an eighth-place finish. That was his best result of 2025 and now arriving at a course where he’s finished no worse than sixth on two attempts, he’s worth siding with at this suitable setup.

Fitzpatrick’s form has been feast or famine this year. He’s missed half of his 16 cuts, but when he has made it to Saturday he’s generally played well, finishing inside the top 35 each time.

I’ve taken particular encouragement from the type of courses at which he’s excelled. As mentioned, his eighth-place finish at The Belfry is his best of the season, whilst his next two have also come on comp courses: 11th in the Soudal Open and 17th in the Indian Open.

The Englishman has relied heavily on his short game this season but ranking inside the top 20 in approach and greens-in-regulation last week, I’m hoping he has turned the corner in approach. If he can combine that with the type of short-game display he has produced on both of those previous European Masters starts, he’d have every chance of another top performance.

Fitzpatrick began with consecutive rounds of 65 on his Crans debut in 2023 to sit third at the halfway point, before eventually finishing fifth. He impressed again last year, opening with a 63 to share the first-round lead and was second through 36 holes, but had to settle for a sixth-place finish after a disappointing third-round 75.

Seven out of eight rounds in the 60s is hugely promising around a quirky venue such as this and possessing top-20 finishes at four of the comp events mentioned, this is a great spot for him to make his DP World Tour breakthrough.

1 pt Antoine Rozner each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 55/1

Antoine Rozner returns to DP World Tour action in the midst of a solid but unspectacular rookie season on the PGA Tour. However, as shown by his fourth-place finish in Qatar earlier this year – his solo DP World Tour start in 2025 – he’s a different animal at this grade and with his irons looking in great shape, he can rise to the top in the Alps.

Rozner has missed just two of 16 cuts on the PGA Tour and although he’s only managed to turn three of those starts into top-25 finishes, it’s encouraging that those stronger performances have come in recent months. His best effort came in the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, where he finished 13th and just four starts ago he was a taking 22nd amongst a strong field in the Scottish Open.

His iron play has been a huge plus and should help him create plenty of opportunities on these receptive greens. He ranks 18th in approach and 21st in greens-in-regulation on the PGA Tour this season and while the short game leaves a lot to be desired, he’s looked in control of the driver in recent starts.

Rozner has played Crans four times and gone well on each occasion, finishing 13th in 2021, fourth in 2022, 24th in 2023 and 34th last year. He’s shot 11/15 rounds in the 60s and just needs a decent putting week to be a serious contender.

1 pt Oliver Lindell each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 70/1

I’m going to finish with a couple of other debutants who should be well suited to this week’s test, beginning with Oliver Lindell.

The Finn has been in scintillating form with his irons in recent months and possessing striking form at another quirky, hilly venue, he’ll be relishing making his European Masters debut.

There are few players on the DP World Tour performing with as much consistency as Lindell at present. He’s only missed one cut in his last nine starts and has picked up six top-25 finishes. This includes a 10th-place finish in the Italian Open and top-eight finishes on his last two starts in the Nexo Championship and Danish Golf Championship. In addition, he was a commendable 28th on his major debut in The Open three starts ago.

His approach play has been electric over that period, ranking third in this field and after struggling to control his driver in the early part of the season, he’s been much more accurate of late. The short game is sound and as a strong scorer, he has the firepower to take advantage of the countless birdie chances.

Lindell hasn’t played here before and other than a 25th-place finish in this year’s Soudal Open, his form on the comp courses mentioned above is thin on the ground. However, his three top-five finishes in the Euram Bank Open on the HotelPlanner Tour – played at altitude at the short, undulating and extremely hilly Adamstal Golf Club – could be a great pointer to this test.

1 pt Davis Bryant each-way (1/5 - 6 places) @ 125/1

We have a couple of more high-profile Americans teeing it up this week, but it’s Davis Bryant who gets the nod. He has consistently caught the eye during his rookie season and hailing from Colorado, he’s a player who should be more than comfortable in these high-altitude surroundings.

This former top-80 amateur turned pro in 2023 and made a splash on the mini-tours in the U.S. last year, winning the Colorado and Wyoming state titles amongst many others. He then headed off to DP World Tour Q-School at the end of 2024 and earned his card with ease, finishing third in that six-day slog of an event.

He had to rely on starts from the HotelPlanner Tour to begin this season and showed his potential with fourth and sixth-place finishes in Abu Dhabi and India. He’s gained more starts on the DP World Tour as the season has progressed and the transition to this higher level has been effortless, recording finishes of fourth in the BMW International Open, 10th in the Italian Open and 13th in last week’s British Masters across his last six starts.

His iron play was outstanding at The Belfry, ranking first in greens-in-regulation and third in approach. He’s also got a reliable short game and ranking ninth on tour in driving accuracy this season, he’s a great fit for Crans.

Those strong performances in the BMW International Open and British Masters strengthen his case and as a player whose ceiling could be just about anything yet, Bryant is worth a shot at this three-figure price.

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