Shot Clock Masters Preview: Betting Tips & How To Watch
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The inaugural Shot Clock Masters is set to make history for the European Tour at the Diamond Country Club in Austria as it marks another week of invoation. Here’s who you should back, and what you need to know about the event.
The first event of its kind, the Shot Clock Masters will make history this week as the first tournament in professional golf to time every shot and penalise players who take their time. It’s part of the Tour’s bid to tackle slow play, with an extended 18-hole version of the concept which first featured on an indiviudal hole at the European Tour’s Golf Sixes event.
The official European Tour shot time allowances will be in force: a 50 second allowance for a “first to play approach shot (including a par three tee shot), chip or putt” and a 40-second allowance for a “tee shot on a par four or par five, or second or third to play approach shot, chip or putt”.
For any player that goes over that allotted time, it’s a one-stroke penalty. However, each player can call for a “time-extension” up to twice in any one round, allowing a further 40 seconds over and above the above allowances to play the shot in question.
How do they measure time? A digital clock mounted on a buggy will travel with each group and will be accompanied by a referee who will be responsible for operating the clock and determining when to start the clock for each shot. The clock will be controlled by an iPad using a bespoke app.
It’s an event that will be either lauded or scrutinised, and one that doesn’t have the strongest field given the scheduling that sees it the week before the US Open. The most notable names include Miguel Angel Jimenez, Lee Slattery, Soren Kjeldsen and Nicolas Colsaerts. The positive in all this is the high odds on offer, but who should you be backing this week?
Shot Clock Masters: How To Watch
Thursday:
Sky Sports Main Event (09:30), Sky Sports Golf (09:30), Sky Sports Golf (14:00)
Friday:
Sky Sports Golf (09:30), Sky Sports Golf (14:00)
Saturday:
Sky Sports Golf (12:30)
Sunday:
Sky Sports Golf (11:00)
Shot Clock Masters: Betting Tips
Lee Slattery: 16/1
The bookies joint favourite thanks to a 3rd place finish at last week’s Rolex Series Italian Open which included a third-round 62. Looking for his first victory on tour since 2015, and has a best result of 4th here (in 2014).
Matthias Schwab: 16/1
Three top 10s this year and three further T30s in eight starts for the Austrian native in a mixture of European and Challenge Tour appearances, with a best result of T4 at the Hero Indian Open earlier in the year. Was T13 here in 2014 and will be hoping he can add a first European Tour victory in his home country.
Miguel Angel Jimenez: 18/1
After winning his first Senior major title at the Regions Tradition, Jimenez finished T14 at the Italian Open – his fourth top 20 in a row on the European Tour. Missed the cut here last year, but was T5 in 2014 the previous time he teed up in Austria.
Lorenzo Gagli: 18/1
No big surprise that Gagli’s odd’s are lower this week given he carded a pair of 66s at the Italian Open on his way to a T14 in the event last week. Before that Gagli had two T20s, a T2 finish at the Challenge Tour’s Turkish Airlines Challenge and a Challenge Tour victory at the start of the year. MC last year here but was T10 in 2013.
Mikko Korhonen: 22/1
Korhonen finished 2nd here last year, and despite a MC at the Italian Open he has had a T15 and a 3rd place finish in his last six starts. One of the strongest contenders here this week by recent results.
Andrea Pavan: 28/1
Hasn’t had much success over the past three weeks (MC-T52-MC), but prior to that he did record two top 10s and a T11, which added to three further top 16s he’s recorded since the start of the year. Hasn’t teed up here since MC in 2015.
Jose-Filipe Lima: 45/1
Three top 10s in his last three starts give Lima the best form heading in to this event, and even though all three results came through Challenge Tour events he’ll be full of confidence. Will be teeing up here for the first time since 2014.
