The World's Best are at Crans Montana this week, and they should be there in September too

The world's best Winter sport athletes are just days away from participating in the Winter Olympics, but before they do, just over the border from the host nation many of them are at Crans Montana for the FIS World Cup and one of only four 'Super G' races in the season. The slopes of Crans Montana provide one of the spectacular and demanding tracks across the entire World Cup season, and given its proximity to the Olympic Games you could excuse some of the best athletes not taking the risk ahead of the greatest show on earth.

Mikaela Shiffrin performs during the FIS Ladie‘s Super Combined at Crans Montana, Switzerland on February 26, 2017 Erich Spiess / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool

All of the Top 50 on the Women's FIS World Cup rankings took part in this week's Super G, and almost all of the Top 64 on the Men's FIS World Cup rankings will take part in Sunday's Downhill. Crans Montana has been part of the World Cup schedule for nearly 50 years, and staged the First Downhill ski race in winter sports history, on 7 February 1911.

Ester Ledecká (CZE) seen in action during her 1st training run for the women downhill of FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup at Mont Lachaux in Crans Montana, Switzerland on February 14, 2024. Pascal Muller / Red Bull Content Pool

Legendary figures of winter sport have won at Crans Montana, including Alberto Tomba and Lindsey Vonn, and the resort will host the 2027 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships. Crans Montana is an icon of Winter Sports, and it is also an icon of our sport, Golf.

Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates on the podium at the FIS Ladie‘s Super Combined at Crans Montana, Switzerland on February 26, 2017 Erich Spiess / ASP / Red Bull Content Pool

The OMEGA European Masters was first played, as the Swiss Open, in 1923 and has been held at the Golf-Club Crans-sur-Sierre at Crans-Montana in Valais since 1939. The legends of European golf have won at Crans, along with superstars of the world game. The Masters Course at Crans Sur Sierre acts as the nursey slopes for the Ski resort during the winter.

Adrien Saddlier tees off during the 2025 OMEGA European Masters / Deprez Photo

Almost mythical figures of the 40's, 50's and 60's including Eric Brown, Flory Van Donck, Dai Rees, Bobby Locke, Bob Charles, Harold Henning and Kel Nagle combined for 11 Swiss Open titles between 1951 and 1965 in the years before the modern European Tour was established in 1972. With the establishment of the European Tour the event attracted the best golfers in the world, and invariably between 1972 and 1999, they won the tournament. Seve Ballesteros, Nick Price, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Craig Stadler, Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood all won 'up the mountain' prior to the turn of the millennium.

The unrivalled view from the 7th green during the 2025 OMEGA European Masters / Deprez Photo

In the 21st century it has seen some of the brightest stars of modern golf emerge onto the world stage, including Alex Noren, Matt Fitzpatrick, Danny Willett, Rasmus Hojgaard and Ludvig Aberg. Some of the giants have also headed back down the mountain with the trophy, including Ernie Els, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia.

For several years the European Masters acted as the first event of the Race to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team, and the course was redesigned by Seve Ballesteros between 1995 and 1999, making it the only course on the DP World Tour to be designed by arguably its most iconic and important golfer. Crans Sur Sierre is without doubt, inarguably the most spectacular course used on any of the world's major tours, perhaps surpassing even Augusta National for beauty, and it has a St Andrews-like finish in the town of Crans Montana. If any course in the world can inspire new golfers to get into the game, this is it.

The final green on the final day of the 2025 OMEGA European Masters / Deprez Photo

Unfortunately, as with the vast majority of DP World Tour events now, the field only attracts a smaller number of elite players, and the Tour has done a truly awful job in marketing the event's history, and has not given it the priority it should have as the 'European Masters'. The location is at the heart of Europe, close to the border with Italy and France and it has the potential to be a massive event on mainland Europe.

The title sponsor is an enormous Swiss and global brand, which only partners with the world's biggest events and world's greatest athletes. OMEGA's only other sports sponsorships include the Olympic Games. the America's Cup, Diamond League Athletics and FINA Swimming. The watch maker has ambassador partnerships with Rory McIlroy, Michael Phelps, Sergio Garcia, Armand "Mondo" Duplantis, Rasmus Hojgaard, and Yulimar Rojas. Via their involvement with Rory McIlroy, OMEGA recently signed a deal to become the 'Official Timekeeper' of TGL, a departure from their usual perchant for sponsoring elite sports events, venturing into sports entertainment.

Matt Wallace putts at the 13th green during the 2025 OMEGA European Masters / Deprez Photo

OMEGA is part of The Swatch Group, which has annual revenues of more than £6billion. There is surely no question that if the World's best golfers all came to Crans Montana, then OMEGA would increase their sponsorship of the tournament, and offer a prize fund commensurate with that offered by the PGA TOUR's Signature Events.

Matt Wallace places his champions disc in the centre of Crans Montana / Getty Images

The European Masters has it all. History and Tradition. A golf course designed by an icon, located in stunning surroundings. A committed, long-term sponsor with global brand recognition. Massive community support from the host town. It is, by any measure, worthy of the status of a signature event in this sport.

SHANK, by Matt Hooper

The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is LIVE on TNT Sports and Discovery+ today and tomorrow from 9.45am GMT, and the OMEGA European Masters takes place 3-6 September and is LIVE on Sky Sports Golf and the DP World Tour's FAST Channel, available on Prime Video and Rakuten TV in the UK.