European Tour: Three Tied at the Top in Switzerland

Three European Tour underdogs are tied at the top at the Omega European Masters. They will look to fend off a talented field this weekend.

Most of the big names at the European Tour‘s Omega European Masters have survived to play the weekend, but many of them will have several strokes to make up if they want to catch the unheralded trio at the top in Switzerland.

Englishman Richard Bland, Australian Richard Green and Frenchman Romain Langasque have reached nine-under-par; each of them shot two rounds in the 60s to open the week. Green has three wins on tour but none since 2010, while the other two are seeking their first.

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Another trio of golfers sits one stroke back and will certainly figure into the action tomorrow. Scott Hend and Richard T. Lee are tied at eight-under with Alex Noren, who has quietly moved up to No. 39 in the world thanks to a strong summer that featured a win and a runner-up finish. In other years, the Swede would have been right in the mix for a Ryder Cup spot.

The course has played right into the hands of tacticians like Noren — he’s a guy who knows how to get his ball around the course and be efficient on the greens.

“I’ve been putting really well. I’ve been holing a lot of five, six-footers for pars when I miss the green. Obviously today I made more birdies,” said Noren, according to a European Tour press release. “I like this type of course where you have to think a little bit off the tees. You get a lot of chances but you need to hit a lot of nice wedges. I think it is very enjoyable for us players.”

SOTOGRANDE, SPAIN – APRIL 17: Andrew Johnston of England tees off on the 15th hole during the final round of the Open de Espana at Real Club Valderrama on April 17, 2016 in Sotogrande, Spain. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images) /

Of the names you’d see at the front of your program, Andrew “Beef” Johnston is having the best week so far. The Englishman has posted scores of 65 and 68 at the par-70 Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club and has been proficient tee to green, placing sixth in the field in both driving accuracy and greens in regulation.

At age 52, Miguel Angel Jiménez has shown he can still play on the big tour. He found the top 20 at The Open Championship two months ago, and he’s now on pace to turn the same trick this week. Through 36 holes, he sits in a tie for 14th at five-under after carding scores of 67 and 68. The Spaniard won this event in 2010.

Defending tournament champion and 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett is lurking in a tie for 31st at three-under-par. He will have to make a move to land what would be just his second top 10 result since winning at Augusta.

Lee Westwood made his 10th straight cut this week, a welcome sign for European Ryder Cup fans. The Englishman does have seven strokes to make up, though, as he aims to dig out of a hole dug by his two-over-par 72 on Thursday.

David Lipsky, the 2014 OEM champion, is tied for 65th.

Tyrrell Hatton, one of the favorites to make some noise this week, is heading home early. The ascending 24-year-old nearly qualified for the Ryder Cup team and had found the top five in Switzerland two years in a row. Hatton failed to break par on either day and ended up four shots outside the cutline. Prior to this week, he was on a run of four straight top 20 finishes.

Fellow Englishman Andy Sullivan missed the cut by one, while tournament invitee and fan favorite Bryson DeChambeau finished well off the mark, ending up in 144th at nine-over-par.

Next: Rickie Fowler: Can He Rally to Make Ryder Cup Squad?

Will someone get his first win this week, or will one of the veteran winners climb the leaderboard to grab the trophy? Let us know what you think in the comments, and check back with Pro Golf Now for more European Tour updates.

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