Steve Palmer's European Masters first-round preview and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the European Masters

Sky Sports Main Event and Golf, 12.30pm Thursday

Best bets

Eddie Pepperell to win 12.20pm threeball
2pts 7-4 BoyleSports

Marcus Helligkilde to win 1.10pm threeball
2pts 6-5 bet365

European Masters first-round preview

The Ryder Cup is dominating conversation as the European Masters takes place in the beautiful Swiss Alps this week, and several players still have high hopes of securing automatic qualification for Luke Donald's team to face America.

Robert MacIntyre is a qualifier from the European points list as things stand, but five players are close enough to overtake him in the European Masters, the final event which counts towards the qualification race. Yannik Paul, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Rasmus Hojgaard and Adrian Otaegui are all breathing down MacIntyre's neck.

In the other Team Europe qualification list – based upon 'world points' – Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick are contesting the final place. Fleetwood is skipping Crans so Fitzpatrick will be hoping to leapfrog his compatriot and book a ticket for the Marco Simone meeting with the United States in the month's time.

Bet365 are running a market on who will make the team prior to the start in Crans, and have Justin Rose (1-33), Shane Lowry (1-20), MacIntyre (1-14), Sepp Straka (1-10), Meronk (1-3) and Ludvig Aberg (4-11) as odds-on bankers. Rose, Lowry, Straka and Aberg will all definitely require a wildcard pick from Donald.

American skipper, Zach Johnson, finalised his team on Tuesday, naming Brooks Koepka, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Sam Burns as his wildcard picks.

Fitzpatrick tees off in the marquee group of the European Masters at 1.30pm local time (12.30pm UK and Ireland) on Thursday, with Nicolai Hojgaard and Matt Wallace as playing partners. Last year's Crans runner-up, Wallace, may be the value option for that contest, but preference for day-one threeball investments is for Eddie Pepperell (12.20pm) and Marcus Helligkilde (1.10pm).

Pepperell should be licking his lips at the prospect of tackling a short, tight, fiddly track which will not be overpowered by bombers. He can take his beloved three-wood off the tee, appreciate the altitude, and plot a safe passage. Third place in the ISPS Handa World Invitational the week before last was hugely encouraging for Pepperell fans.

Steady Eddie can outscore Matthieu Pavon and Shubhankar Sharma on the opening day, while improving Dane Helligkilde, fourth in the ISPS Handa, can be fancied to do likewise against Nicolai von Dellingshausen and Alexander Levy.

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