French Open kicks off European money train
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2007 Open de France | Preview | 27 Jun 2007
The European Tour is in France for the Open de France Alstom (the French Open), the event kick-starting a series of big money events over the next few weeks. This particular event carries a purse of €4 million.
The tournament is being played at Le Golf National near Paris where it has been in all but two of the years since 1991. The Albatross course at Le Golf National is a Hubert Chesneau designed layout opened in 1991.
Richard Green arrives in France not only as a player who has performed well at this golf course but also on the back of a victory in Austria. Green has struggled to win on the European Tour but finally getting across the line in Austria should stand him in good stead on a golf course where he finished runner up in 2004 and 7th last year. The lanky left-hander is having a brilliant season in Europe and can perhaps claim favouritism this week.
Anders Hansen has been in his best form in recent weeks as his fourth last week in Germany and his great win at the BMW PGA Championship suggests. Hansen has played this event well in each of the last two years, finishing inside the top ten each time and might do so again this year.
Lee Westwood has continued to play well since his comeback victory in Spain a few weeks ago and it might be that in this field he can do well.
Marcus Fraser will be that much a better player as a result of his US Open experience. He did well to qualify for Oakmont and played well during the event to finish 45th in his first time at that level. He finished well at Le Golf National last year when third behind Bicekrton. It would not surprise with the US Open experience behind him for him to do well this week.
Raphael Jacquelin is perhaps the home grown hope looking to take up where Jean Francois Remesy left off with consecutive wins in 2004 and 2005. Jacquelin has been in very good form in 2007. Remesy on the other hand bobbed up with a nice tournament in Austria when runner up but that apart his season has been very ordinary.
Richard Sterne has had three weeks off since his fine win in Wales and his 2007 season has highlighted the progress of this fine South African golfer. Sterne has played this event well on occasions and given that he is at a new level now, he is a chance to win his second consecutive event.
Other Australasians are Michael Campbell whose form is fairly erratic at present, Peter O’Malley, who has a good record in this event, Brett Rumford, David Bransdon, Wade Ormsby, Matthew Millar, Andrew Tampion and Terry Price.
