Steve Palmer's European Masters predictions and free golf betting tips

When to bet

By 6.40am on Thursday

Where to watch the European Masters

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 12.30pm on Thursday

Steve Palmer's European Masters predictions

Antoine Rozner
3pts each-way 33-1 Betfair, Power

Alexander Bjork
3pts each-way 25-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Marcus Kinhult
1pt each-way 66-1 Coral, Ladbrokes

Ewen Ferguson
1pt each-way 60-1 BoyleSports, Hills

Marc Warren
0.5pt each-way 400-1 BoyleSports

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The American Ryder Cup team is about to be finalised – Zach Johnson will announce his six wildcard picks on Tuesday afternoon – but there is still one more week of action before the Europeans cement their plans.

The final chance to earn Ryder Cup points comes this week in the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre. Robert MacIntyre is looking to cling on to his place in the qualification spots, with Yannik Paul, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Rasmus Hojgaard and Adrian Otaegui close enough to overtake him in Switzerland.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Antoine Rozner 33-1

Ryder Cup tension will be high in the Swiss Alps, but it is unlikely that European Masters favourite Matt Fitzpatrick is feeling any. Fitzpatrick will surely be in Luke Donald's plans regardless of whether automatic qualification is secured on Sunday.

With Tommy Fleetwood skipping the European Masters, Fitzpatrick could sneak the final place in the 'world points list', but Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick are almost certainly both bankers for the Ryder Cup. Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Meronk, Nicolai Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg may be the others who get the nod from Donald.

The best tactic for the European Masters may be to overlook those in the heat of the battle for the Ryder Cup places. Two players who are on the fringes of the Cup conversation – and would need a win and a prayer to be considered – appeal as the most solid Crans investments.

Antoine Rozner is relentlessly accurate from tee to green and well suited to the challenges of the tree-lined, fiddly Crans layout. The Frenchman fell in love with the venue on his debut in 2021, closing with a round of 62 for 13th place, then he finished with rounds of 65, 64 and 66 last year to end up in fourth spot.

This time, having built that bank of course experience, Rozner can make a stronger start to the event and contend throughout. He could be proud of the way he handled Royal Liverpool in the Open Championship, sharing 20th place, then he finished 22nd on his return to action last week in the Czech Masters.

Rozner is a three-time DP World Tour champion – an impressive haul given he was a rookie in 2020 – and he also won twice on the Challenge Tour. A half-decent week with putter in hand and he should be in the thick of things throughout.

Next best bet

Alexander Bjork 25-1

There has been a Swedish champion at Crans six times and this year the country has a strong contingent. Alexander Bjork has been enjoying the most consistent campaign of his career, having posted 11 top-20s, seven top-tens and four top-fives. He was runner-up in the Ras al Khaimah Championship in February.

Bjork has only one victory to his name on the DPWT (2018 China Open), but he seems the most likely to feature on the Crans leaderboard and a rock-solid each-way bet. A lack of length off the tee is his only significant weakness, but that is not a serious handicap at Crans.

Bjork, a tidy player who is deadly on and around the greens, finished 16th on his Crans debut in 2017. The following year he arrived off form figures of MC-48-MC-MC, but opened with a solid 69 before getting food poisoning and withdrawing. Subsequent results of 28-13-16 underline his Crans comfort. Last week's Czech Masters layout was wholly unsuitable for Bjork, but he finished 14th.

Other selections

Marcus Kinhult 66-1
Ewen Ferguson 60-1
Marc Warren 400-1

Marcus Kinhult, like Bjork, is also stuck on one DPWT title. Kinhult is six years younger, and suffered some health issues which sidelined him, so he will be confident of adding to his haul now he is fit and firing. These two Swedes play the game in a similar fashion. Kinhult was tenth on his Crans debut in 2015, following up with results of 56-12-47-23, and his last three DPWT starts have been encouraging (14-20-12).

Ewen Ferguson, typically accurate and a two-time DPWT champion, has played loads of great golf in the last six months, including three top-four finishes, most recently in the British Masters. A share of 12th in the Scottish Open was another impressive effort and the Scot is well capable of making an impact at Crans on his second visit.

Complete the attack with another Glasgow Rangers fan – Gers supporters Ferguson and Marc Warren should both enjoy their trip to Switzerland. Warren is a class act who has won four times on the DPWT. The last of those victories came across the Swiss border in the Austrian Open. Warren's last Challenge Tour win came in Switzerland (Rolex Trophy).

Warren had got bundles of Crans experience to draw upon, having made his debut in 2002. He finished fourth on his second appearance in 2006, ninth in 2010 and 13th in 2014. His last three regulation DPWT starts hint that he can contend again – fourth place in Denmark, 20th in the ISPS Handa and 31st in Prague last week, where he closed with a 67.

Crans-sur-Sierre course guide

Course Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, Crans Montana, Switzerland
Prize money €2.5m (€416,750 to the winner)
Length 6,808 yards
Par 70 - three par-fives; ten par-fours; five par-threes
Field 156 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Matt Fitzpatrick (8), Adrian Meronk (52), Robert MacIntyre (55), Victor Perez (67), Pablo Larrazabal (72)
Course records - 72 holes 260 Colin Montgomerie (1996) 18 holes 60 Jamie Spence (1992), James Morrison (2021)

Course winners taking part Miguel Angel Jimenez, Richie Ramsay, Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick (twice), Sebastian Soderberg, Rasmus Hojgaard, Thriston Lawrence

When to bet By 6.40am on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 12.30pm on Thursday

Time difference Switzerland is one hour ahead of the UK and Ireland

Last week – Czech Masters 1 T Clements (400-1), 2 M Wallace (45-1), 3 N Hojgaard (16-1), T4 L Aberg (12-1), N Bachem (175-1), R MacIntyre (25-1), M Schmitt (300-1), S Valimaki (110-1), F Zanotti (125-1); Tour Championship 1 V Hovland (5-1), 2 X Schauffele (28-1), 3 W Clark (50-1), 4 R McIlroy (7-2), 5 P Cantlay (20-1)

Course type Parkland

Course overview There has been a Tour event staged at Crans every year since 1972, apart from the 2020 Covid cancellation. A Seve Ballesteros redesign in 1999 made it tougher, creating lots of run-off areas around the greens. The sixth and seventh are driveable par-fours. Small, firm, unreceptive greens are the main problem for the competitors, although they are aided by the fact that the ball flies further than normal at the altitude. Most fairways are tree-lined and undulating

Story of last year Thriston Lawrence defeated Matt Wallace with a par at the first hole of a playoff

Weather forecast Sunny and calm all week, with temperatures peaking at 26C

Type of player suited to the challenge Accuracy from tee to green and course-management are the keys to success. The honours board is full of precise operators like Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn (twice), Richie Ramsay and Matthew Fitzpatrick (twice)

Key attribute Accuracy