Big purse, class field at French Open
IN: News | European PGA | Open de France (2006) | Preview | by Bruce Young | 28 Jun 2006
The Open de France has once again assembled a class European Tour field and although the last four winners at this venue do not exactly fit into that category, the chances of one of Europe's best winning in 2006 are very high.
The possibility of Frenchman Jean Francois Remesy winning his national title for a third consecutive year seem very remote given that he has missed his last ten cuts on the European Tour but his performances in 2004, when he won by seven shots, and in 2005, when he beat fellow countryman Jean Van de Velde in a playoff, will become part of the legend of French golf.
The Albatross course at Le Golf National is a Hubert Chesneau designed layout opened in 1991. The winning score in the years that it has been played at this venue have varied only two shots between ten and twelve under par.
This year David Howell probably gets the nod as favourite to win the event not only because he is the leading world ranked player (#10) in the tournament but because he is the leading player in Europe in 2006 and finished second at this venue in 2003.
Padraig Harrington avoided having to play on Tuesday at the Booz Allen tournament but it was still a long week for him and followed an equally demanding week at the US Open. On the plus side he is in good form right now having finished second last week and an unlucky fifth at the US Open. If he has not run out of steam he could figure but he will be looking for a break soon.
Jose Maria Olazabal has won this tournament but not at this venue. He did however finish 8th last year at Le Golf National and is playing well enough now to equal or better that effort.
Others with a genuine chance include Thomas Bjorn, Ian Poulter and Australian Richard Green. Green was a runner up to Remesy in 2004 and is in very good form. He played in the US Open but had last week off and seems to be closing in on his second European Tour win and his first since the 1997 Dubai Classic.
Australasians in the field other than Green include Michael Campbell, Peter O'Malley, the in-form Brett Rumford, Wade Ormsby, Marcus Fraser, Mathew Millar, Daniel Gaunt, Stephen Scahill and Peter Fowler.
The tournament begins a series of lucrative events on the European Tour with prizemoney this week of €4 million making it one of the richest on the European Tour outside of the Majors and World Championship events.
Photo - Anthony Powter
