The Punter's In-Play Blog: Former winners dominate at Crans

• Former winners occupy the first three places with 18 to play

• Hojgaard chanced from off the pace

09:40 - August 31, 2025

After the fog on Thursday, the Omega European Masters is finally back on track and with just 18 holes to play, the leaderboard is dominated by past Crans champions. Here's the latest state of play with prices to back at 9:35.

Thriston Lawrence -18 3.3512/5
Matt Wallace -17 3.7511/4
Matt Fitzpatrick -16 3.8514/5
Sami Valimaki -15 11.521/2
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -14 17.016/1
Richard Mansell -13 65.064/1
Joel Girrbach -13 160.0159/1
Rasmus Hojgaard -12 60.059/1
-12 and 200.0199/1 bar

And here's where the last 10 winners were sitting with a round go at Crans, with the prices they were trading at.

2024 - Matt Wallace - led by four 1.422/5
2023 - Ludvig Aberg - tied second, trailing by two 7.413/2
2022 - Thriston Lawrence - led by three 1.9110/11
2021 - Rasmus Hojgaard - tied 15^th, trailing by four 48.047/1
2020 - Event Cancelled
2019 - Sebastian Soderberg -tied ninth, trailing by four 100.099/1
2018 - Matthew Fitzpatrick - led by two 1.738/11
2017 - Matthew Fitzpatrick - tied third - trailing by four 9.08/1
2016 - Alex Noren solo second - trailing by a stroke 2.6813/8
2015 - Danny Willett tied for the lead 2.285/4
2014 - David Lipsky solo fourth - trailing by three 16.015/1

Matt Fitzpatrick was trailing by four on the first occasion he lifted the huge trophy in 2017 but the three men that occupy the first three places this morning have all held clear leads when they won here, although all three needed to go to extra holes before winning.

Danny Willett was tied at the top when he won here a decade ago but six of the last 10 have been trailing with 18 to play and this year's 54 hole leader, Thriston Lawrence, who beat the man currently in second, Matt Wallace, in a playoff three years ago, looks short enough at just 3.3512/5.

Lawrence shot 69 in round four, which was a respectable score under the circumstances, but he shot 74 in round four when leading the South African Open in December 2022 and 75 at the Joburg Open in November 2023 when leading.

He held on to win his national title by a stroke but was beaten by eight in Joburg and I'm happy to oppose him.

Wallace eventually claimed the prize 12 months ago after a playoff and he was disappointing in-the-mix at the Belfry last week, as was Fitzpatrick, who went into round four leading by a stroke and trading at just 2.6413/8.

Although I don't want to side with any of them, one of those front three is likely to win but I'm happy to cheer on Friday night's pick, Sami Valimaki, and I'm also happy to take a small chance on another former winner, the 2021 champ, Rasmus Hojgaard.

With his place in the Ryder Cup secured, the Dane can relax and just go for it today and if he were to go on and win from off the pace, it wouldn't be the first time.

Hojgaard was trailing by five with 18 to play when he won the UK Championship in 2020, he was four adrift here in 2021, six off the lead when he won in his homeland two years ago and he was matched in-running at 50.049/1 during the final round of next week's event, the Irish Open, before he picked off Rory McIlroy. He looks a sporting play at 60.059/1.

The live coverage starts on Sky at 11:30, just as the final three-ball tees off.

22:00 - August 29, 2025

Fog kept rolling in and out on Thursday at Crans to severely hamper the opening day's play at the Omega European Masters and after several suspensions in play, we're playing catch up.

Although it's been a clear and pleasant day in the mountains today, some of the field haven't even started their second rounds so it's a tricky event to evaluate but here's the latest state of play with prices to back at 21:50.

Adrien Saddier -13 5.24/1
Matt Wallace -12 4.67/2
Jordan Smith -11 7.26/1
Thriston Lawrence -11 8.88/1
Joakim Lagergren -8 (played 16 holes) 100.099/1
Sami Valimaki -7 50.049/1
Antoine Rozner -7 55.054/1
John Parry -7 65.064/1

The two-time tournament winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, who's yet to start his second round, is trading at 10/111.00 but that looks short given he trails by nine.

Having played both their opening rounds today, it's been a long day for those at the top of the leaderboard, but they can have a lie in tomorrow with the third round starting no earlier than 14:30 local time and in the fullness of time, I suspect those originally drawn PM-AM to dominate the final leaderboard.

I know we haven't got there yet this year, but once the halfway leaderboard is set, it looks like we can scan down it in search of the winner...

Here's where the last 10 winners were sitting at the halfway stage at Crans.

2024 - Matt Wallace - led by four
2023 - Ludvig Aberg - fifth, trailing by six
2022 - Thriston Lawrence - fifth, trailing by three
2021 - Rasmus Hojgaard - 14^th, trailing by five
2020 - Event Cancelled
2019 - Sebastian Soderberg - 12^th, trailing by five
2018 - Matthew Fitzpatrick - second, trailing by two
2017 - Matthew Fitzpatrick - sixth, trailing by five
2016 - Alex Noren - fourth, trailing by one
2015 - Danny Willett - led by a stroke
2014 - David Lipsky  - fifth, trailing by three

With all that in mind, I'm not in a rush to get too involved but I'm happy to have a small bet on Sami Valimaki at 50.049/1.

He finished eighth in Denmark last time out when a pre-event pick at 33/134.00 and trailing by six, he looks fractionally big.

I'll be back on Sunday morning with another look when we should be close to completing the third round.

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