Crans Montana: Defending champion Thomas Bjorn of Denmark returns to the scene of his famous triumph hoping to repeat his winning feat at the Omega European Masters which gets underway on Thursday.
Just 12 months ago, the Dane completed a remarkable back-to-back victory by winning the Omega European Masters shortly after coming off the back of another victory in Scotland.
His stunning final round of nine-under-par 62 left everyone in the wake as he cruised to a four-shot victory at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
“It was one of those weeks which came together nicely. You hit those notes once in a while in golf and you’ve got to enjoy them when you do. I played my absolute best on that Sunday and came out tops,” said Bjorn.
Bjorn knows that he will face stiff challenges from a strong field that features Asian Tour stalwarts such as 13-time Asian Tour winner Thaworn Wiratchant from Thailand, India’s Anirban Lahiri and Bangladesh’s Siddikur.
The 41-year-old Dane however believes that his vast experience on Tour will give him the advantage over his closest rivals.
“I’ve been working hard on my game, and with a bit of luck I can get right up there on Sunday, and hopefully my experience will get me through. I’ve got a good record here, having won and finished runner-up twice, so I know I can get the job done,” said the Dane.
Meanwhile despite being hampered by injuries and suffering a dip in form, England’s Paul Casey knows that he will not be looking for a career change anytime soon, especially after teeing off at the picturesque Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club.
“As soon as you walk on the tee, there’s very little thought about the three-wood or whatever you’re going to hit, and you realise you've got one of the best jobs in the world,” said Casey.
“When you’re out at the seventh tee, the classic image you see, it’s stunning. It’s a wonderful place to play golf, not just for the views but also for the people and how we’re treated here,” added the 35-year-old Englishman who reached a career high of third place in the world rankings three years ago.
With the awe-inspiring backdrop of the Swiss Alps in full view, Casey knows that he needs no further motivation to return to the winner’s circle- a place where he has been to 11 times already.
“I believe my best years are still ahead of me, because I feel I’m capable of playing better golf than I did in 2006, or 2009. This year’s been tough, so I’m already looking forward to the remaining events this year and getting off to a fast start next year,” said Casey.
The Omega European Masters is the first event in Europe to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour since 2009.
By Indian Sports News Network
