Steve Palmer's European Masters final-round preview, best bets, free golf tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm Sunday

Best bets

Matt Wallace to win the European Masters
1pt each-way 11-2 general

Story so far

Thriston Lawrence leads the European Masters by three shots going into the final round - the in-form South African shortening from an ante-post 33-1 to a best-price 4-5 favourite.

Lawrence made his DP World Tour breakthrough in the Joburg Open in November - a four-shot success in a weather-shortened 36-hole event - and the 25-year-old is hunting victory No. 2 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Lawrence has been a regular on DP World Tour leaderboards this, finishing second in the Kenya Open and third in the Irish Open. He was eighth in the Czech Masters last Sunday, but will expect a better finish in Switzerland.

Matt Wallace, a four-time DP World Tour champion who is winless since September, 2018, is alone in second place. Ante-post favourite Ryan Fox missed the cut, while a third-round 76 meant a meek title defence from Rasmus Hojgaard.

Leaderboard
-17 Thriston Lawrence
-14 Matt Wallace
-13 Scott Jamieson, Richard Mansell
-12 Alejandro Canizares, Masahiro Kawamura, Adri Arnaus

Best prices
4-5 T Lawrence, 11-2 M Wallace, 9 R Mansell, 12 S Jamieson, 16 A Arnaus, 33 M Kawamura, 40 A Rozner, 66 bar

Final-round preview

Thriston Lawrence gets the chance to prove he can win over the full distance on the DP World Tour - and the Joburg champion has certainly shown enough form this year to justify his short odds.

Lawrence has followed up his Joburg victory with five top-tens, comfortably making the transition from Sunshine Tour to DP World Tour. There is not a younger South African ahead of him in the world rankings, so the Rainbow Nation may be pinning their hopes on the burly Mbombela man becoming their next big thing.

An odds-on wager on a player who has never won over 72 holes on any significant Tour is not easy to justify. The consistency of Lawrence means somebody is probably going to have to play extremely well to beat him on Crans Sunday, but it is a more appealing option to have a small stake on one of his pursuers, rather than a chunk on the leader at 4-5.

Richard Mansell is yet to get off the mark on the DP World Tour, Scott Jamieson is difficult to trust in contention, while Alejandro Canizares, Masahiro Kawamura and Adri Arnaus have probably given Lawrence too much of a start.

All things considered, then, Matt Wallace at 11-2 seems a decent each-way option with terms of a third the odds, the first two. The Englishman is amid a victory drought, but he will fancy his chances in this company, and signing off with back-to-back birdies in round three sent him to the clubhouse in great heart.

Wallace has churned out a couple of respectable PGA Tour results lately - 26th in the 3M Open and tenth in the Rocket Mortgage Classic - and he feels confident when dropping a grade to the DP World Tour circuit. He was fifth in the Dutch Open in May. From three shots back, the former world number 23 should go close.

The final threeball of Lawrence, Wallace and Mansell is scheduled on the tee at 12.30pm local time (11.30am UK and Ireland). A sunny, warm afternoon, with gentle breezes, is forecast.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Not got a bet365 account? Bet £10 & get £50 in free bets

Open account offer. Minimum deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as bet credits and are available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Minimum odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude bet credits stake. Time limits/T&Cs apply. 18+ begambleaware.org

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport