Ginger Joe - My Longshot picks for the 2024 European Masters

I’ve found some underrated talent in the European Masters field

The DP World Tour heads to Switzerland this week for the European Masters, and to one of the toughest golf courses on Tour - the Crans-Sur-Sierre, located near Valais in the Swiss Alps. With an altitude 1500 feet above sea level, most players won't be getting their drivers out this week. There won’t be much need as the thinner air causes the ball to travel much further.

Doing well here will be exceptionally tough, but I have found three longshots that I think are up to the task, and are sure to outplay their odds this week. The stats you need to look at are distance control with the irons, players that scramble well and who can handle a putter. And I think the three players I have come up with are pretty strong in all areas.

Great prices and place terms at Ladbrokes this week

Courtesy of Lafbrokes I have a sign up offer with some free bets for you to look at. Bet £5, and you’ll get £20 in free bets. With seven places available, it’s a great deal.

Sam Jones @ 500/1

Sam Jones is a player I have selected a few times in recent weeks. He has been playing really well in patches and the more I see him play, the more comfortable he seems to be on the big stage. He is the current world number 667, and even though he has missed his fair share of cuts, he has been shooting some good scores and this course looks absolutely ideal for him. I also love the way he hits his irons.He is very good at controlling his irons in terms of trajectory and distance control, so he could make a real impact here.

He will go underestimated this week due to a missed cut at the British Masters, likely because that course simply didn’t suit him too well. But at the Crans-Sur-Sierre, where distance control with the irons is key, I think Sam Jones will thrive. He achieved top 10s in the Italian Open and the Soudal Open, which are both iron-dominated courses, and he is sure to have improved from the experience. Make no mistake, Sam Jones is a big each way player and he holds much better credentials than a lot of the players above him in the betting market.

Lauri Ruuska @ 300/1

Next up, I have Lauri Ruuska, a Finnish player that I have been following for a long time on the Challenge Tour. He hits the ball an absolute mile and even though that isn’t the stat of focus for this week, he does have a wide variety of skills. When he is playing well, he controls his irons very well indeed, and his distance management is superb. If you are getting the distances right, you are unlikely to be too far away from your target around this tricky golf course.

He also missed the cut at the British Masters, but like Sam Jones, he is much better-suited to this week’s course, and is another that is improving as he plays. He will need to bring his best game, but he is more than capable of shooting low scores, having posted a ton of rounds in the low 60s this year alone. If Lauri Ruuska starts well, I think he will be able to build on that as he goes through the tournament. And at a price of 300/1, he is far too good to miss.

Jack Davidson @ 175/1

My final longshot pick is Jack Davidson and I am a huge fan. He is a tremendous ball striker who has a strong game all the way through his bag, and I’m sure he is ready to pop a surprise at a big price sooner or later. He is currently the world number 607, which actually discreditshis ability, considering he has achieved top 25s on the DP World Tour this season.

He always plays well on tough golf courses, but this year he is playing exceptionally well at courses where you need to control distance with your irons, and this is where we are seeing the best of Jack Davidson. He suits this course very well indeed and has definitely attracted plenty of attention over the last few weeks. On paper, he needs to improve to do well here, but Jack Davidson is a player on the up and is definitely one to watch this week for sure.

My longshot betting tips for the European Masters

• Sam Jones @ 500/1
• Lauri Ruuska @ 300/1
• Jack Davidson @ 175/1

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