South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence confirmed his head for heights with a victory Sunday in the Omega European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in Switzerland.
It was not only the 28-year-old’s second European Masters triumph – three years after his first at this high-altitude venue – it was also his fifth DP World Tour victory.
When he completed a third-round 63 early on Sunday morning, Lawrence led the English pair of Matt Wallace and Matt Fitzpatrick by one and two strokes, respectively.
The trio were all former winners in Crans – Wallace the defending champion, Fitzpatrick the back-to-back winner in 2017-18 – and they would all play together in the final round.
When Lawrence started with three consecutive bogeys his challenge threatened to unravel, but he drove the green at the 332-yard, par-4 sixth and drained the 18-foot eagle putt. With birdies at five of the next eight holes, he burst clear of his playing partners and completed a winning total of 22-under 258.
Stony-faced throughout the fourth round, his emotion was disclosed immediately afterwards.
“Winning is tough,” he said through tears. “I was so nervous all day. It always looks so easy but it isn’t and after that start I’m so proud of how hard I fought. I’m not a quitter. I trusted myself, trusted the process, and I prayed a lot.”
Wallace shared second with Finland’s Sami Välimäki and Denmark’s Rasmus Højgaard on 20-under, and was devastated to have come up short in the final event before Luke Donald announces his six captain’s picks for Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
The 35-year-old endured agony in 2018 when he was a three-time winner yet was overlooked by that year’s skipper, Thomas Bjørn. He started this year’s qualifying period with victory in Crans and ended it ranked 12th, but his tears revealed that he believes he has come up short of what is required to earn a positive phone call from Donald.
“I’ve never given up on the Ryder Cup,” he managed in his post-round interview, but could find no other words. He didn’t need to.
He finished in a share of third at Bethpage Black in the 2019 PGA Championship and he will hope that result proves persuasive.
Most would be astounded if Jon Rahm, Ludvig Åberg, Viktor Hovland and Shane Lowry do not receive good news from the captain.
What of the other options to join automatic qualifiers Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Højgaard and Tyrrell Hatton on Europe’s team?
After a poor start to 2025, Fitzpatrick has rediscovered his best form, not least when recording top-10 finishes in the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, but he headed into the final round of the British Masters two weeks ago with a one-stroke lead before a 74 left him in a share of sixth (and 11th in the Ryder Cup standings). So his Crans performance (he closed with a 67 for solo fifth) was a second Sunday damp squib in a row.
Sepp Straka, No. 8 in the standings, began the year with two wins on the PGA Tour, but has struggled more recently and might be vulnerable. DP World Tour diehards have voiced support for the form horse Marco Penge while Harry Hall has his advocates, and some will hope that Rasmus Højgaard is joined by his twin brother, Nicolai.
Donald will end the debate when he announces his picks today.
Matt Cooper