Thriston Lawrence triumphs in Crans Montana

South African Thriston Lawrence led the way at the Omega European Masters, played in prohibitive weather conditions on the Crans-sur-Sierre GC (par 70) course in Crans Montana, Switzerland. He finished the 91st edition of the tournament with 258 (63 66 63 66, -22) strokes, two ahead of Finland’s Sami Valimaki, Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard and England’s Matt Wallace, the defending champion, who were second with 260 (-20)., going for the second time in the event after his success in 2022.

They led a good race Guido Migliozzi, 13th with 266 (-14), and Andrea Pavan, 17th with 267 (-13), confirming progress following a difficult period, and finished 40th with 272 (-8) Matteo Manassero.

Thriston Lawrence, 28, of Nelspruit, is on his fifth title on the DP World Tour, where he has not won in two years, for a palmarès that also includes two successes on the Sunshine Tour, net of two combined with the Continental Circuit, one on the MENA Golf Tour, one on the Big Easy Tour, and one on the ITG Pro Tour. In season, he played on the PGA Tour for which he had a “card” with third place in the Race to Dubai 2024 (European Order of Merit). Leading after 54 holes, he got off to a shaky start with three bogeys in a row, then decisively changed pace by stringing together an eagle and five birdies for the winning 66 (-4). More tenacious opponent Wallace, however, paid dearly for a bogey on hole 14. Lawrence was rewarded with a check for 473,432 euros out of a prize pool of about 2,780,000 euros ($3,250,000 the official figure).

Two Englishmen in fifth and sixth place, respectively, Matt Fitzpatrick with 261 (-19) and Richard Mansell with 262 (-18), then in seventh with 263 (-17) Switzerland’s Joel Girrbach and among the five competitors in eighth with 265 (-15) Spain’s promising Angel Ayora, in his fourth top ten of the season.

Migliozzi (66 66 67 67), a 28-year-old from Vicenza, scored 67 (-3) strokes with four birdies and a bogey, Pavan (66 68 64 69), a 36-year-old from Rome, shot a partial 69 (-1, four birdies, three bogeys) and Manassero (68 66 67 71), a 32-year-old from Negrar di Valpolicella (VR), returning after a rest period, shot 71 (+1, three birdies, two bogeys, one double bogey). Exiting at the cut were Gregorio De Leo, 68th with 138 (68 70, -2), and Francesco Laporta, 139th with 145 (75 70, +5).