There’s a certain buzz in the air as France’s top golfing talents, Matthieu Pavon and Victor Perez, gear up for their homecoming at the FedEx Open de France.
It’s not just any tournament—they’ll be back on the Albatros Course at Le Golf National, the same stage that hosted their Olympic exploits in August.
Now, let’s not pretend this is just another tournament for Pavon and Perez. Playing in front of your home crowd always carries a bit more weight, especially when you’ve already lit up the stage earlier in the year.
Perez, fresh off a sizzling final round of 63 at the Paris Olympics, missed out on a medal by a whisker. Fourth place isn’t something to sneeze at, but knowing Victor, that close call is probably still grinding his gears.
Victor Perez: “Very happy to be back. Obviously different than it was a couple months ago, and definitely weird to kind of come back to a place because usually you only go to the location once a year. A place I’m obviously very familiar with, different setup, but should be a fun week.
“I think we have seen it this year with a lot of great results, a lot of French guys knocking on the door right now, seven players qualifying for DP World finals and hopefully more to come with good results.
It shows with Matt (Pavon) winning on the PGA TOUR earlier in the year. I think everybody is just kind of like climbing step after step and hoping for more, and I think it’s great to see more and more French players competing and winning which is obviously the point of this whole thing.”
But it’s Pavon who’s really had a season to remember. In case you missed it, Pavon made history by becoming the first Frenchman to win on the PGA TOUR since 1907, taking the Farmers Insurance Open.
Not exactly a stroll in the park, is it? He’s now the highest-ranked French player in the world, sitting at a respectable 26th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
And as he steps onto the fairways of Le Golf National, you can bet he’ll have his sights set on delivering a little more magic in front of the home faithful.
Matthieu Pavon: “It’s always good to come back. Last time I was here was for an unforgettable moment, the Olympics. So really happy to be here and to see the fans this week and play my National Open is always amazing.
“(Golf is) getting bigger (in France), which is nice. We love the game, so any time we can see it growing here in France, it’s amazing. I mean, I think playing well in America with Victor Perez really helped and seeing the guys win on tour this year, everybody is doing great this year and it’s good to see and I’m sure in France it inspires people.”
The FedEx Open de France, being the oldest national open in Continental Europe, adds a bit of historical spice to the event. And it’s not just Pavon and Perez holding the tricolour high this year.
A total of 19 French players are in the mix, including David Ravetto and Frederic Lacroix, both of whom are fresh off their first wins this season.
But perhaps the most emotional story belongs to Grégory Havret, who is making his final appearance in his national open.
After 23 years and 560 starts on the DP World Tour, this will be his swan song. A fitting send-off for a stalwart of French golf.
And just in case you thought this was a local affair, the FedEx Open de France has its fair share of international flair, with Major Champions like Francesco Molinari, Justin Rose, and Danny Willett joining the fray.
Oh, and let’s not forget recent BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel, who’s always up for a fight.
Billy Horschel: “It’s a great golf course. I love the golf course. It’s one of the reasons I came back again this year, and I think the scoring is going to be really good because of the soft conditions.
“The greens are looking pure. They are rolling pure, and you’re going to have soft conditions. So guys are going to be going at it.
I think this course is going to lend itself to possibly some low scores depending on how the wind is. If the wind gets up, it’s a little bit more challenging but if it’s not, there’s going to be some low scores this week.”
For those with long memories, Rose and Molinari might bring back visions of that 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National, when Molinari swept all five of his matches and clinched the winning point for Europe.
If that doesn’t stir up a bit of excitement for what’s ahead, I’m not sure what will.
So, if you’re a fan of French golf—or just golf in general—the FedEx Open de France is the place to be this week.
With homegrown heroes like Pavon and Perez leading the charge, and legends like Havret taking their final bow, it’s shaping up to be an event you won’t want to miss.
