European Tour - Open de France...

First topic message reminder :

...or shouldn't they call it "Le Ouvert de France"!?

Anyway, the French Open is one of the oldest golf tournaments on the planet and is certainly enjoying a hike in profile over the last 5-6 year (since 2006 to be more precise, when Alstom came on board as title sponsor).

Spoiler:

The prize fund has shoot up as well over the past decade, as high as over 4 million euros at some point, making it one of the richest events on the European Tour calendar, outside the majors and WGCs. And with the 2018 Ryder Cup on its way to France on the same course where the French Open is played most of the time, one can only expect this high profile to be maintained, if not enhanced in the years to come. The venue is Le Golf National, situated just east of Paris and Versailles, and its championship L'Albatros course (L'Aigle and L'Oiselet are the other two smaller courses in the complex) is highly regarded by many pros as an excellent and pretty tough test of golf.

Last year the tournament was won rather surprisingly (his form wasn't at all great before that) by Thomas Levet of France, to the great delight of the large and noisy local crowd. Unfortunately for him, Levet has been remembered ever since just as much, or maybe even more, for breaking a leg in the wild celebrations that followed that win... Pitty also that there is no sequel this year to last year's 'comedy' - An American in Paris - starring Bubba Watson... as neither him nor any other notable Americans are making the trip. Robert Allenby looks to be one of the most 'exotic' specimen out there this year, probably in as a former winner of the event and probably in desperate search for his lost form as well as pre-Open aclimatisation... Some of the European guys who did well here last year, like Olesen, Foster and Morrison are all in good form lately, so I would expect them to rise to the task once again this week. Lee Westwood can move to #2 in the world if he wins again this week, and you'd expect him to be there or thereabouts come Sunday afternoon (not looking like a great start at the moment though).

The early leader this morning is Gary Boyd, but he's been having quite a few fast starts in the past only to fade away later on, so we'll have to wait and see if Le jour de gloire est arrivee for him. Also, amongst others with good early starts are Del Moral (playing well recently), Matteo and RC-Bello as well as Colsaerts and Allenby... But it seems that the hangover is not over for Donaldson after the Portrush celebrations, and there's a rather worrying bunch of 'superstars' cluttering the bottom of the leaderboard at the moment: Lee, GMac, Quiros, Stenson, Kaymer, Jimenez, Goosen...

McLaren wrote:I really hope DC does the decent thing and retire after the open.

I think once you win a Major this is your reward. The opportunity to go anywhere you want to a golf tournament and get all the appreciation you deserve for 5 years.

Can't really say much about yesterday final round in Paris as I haven't seen any of it, but it's great for Marcel Siem to finally finish one off, his form has been consistently excellent this season... Hopefully this win will bring more confidence and consistence in his performances to complement his undoubted talent. For Kaymer these must be doubly tough times, apart from his consistently dismal form, he's been constantly overshadowed lately by his fellow countryman (at home in Germany a couple of weeks ago and now culminating with Siem finishing 1st and him ending up last on this weekend LB).
Also, a quick look at the Ryder Cup standings would pose an obvious question for Ollie: which German would you rather have in the team if you're to have one...? Kaymer who's now in or Siem who's not there yet...? At this rate and form, if I was Ollie, I'd be almost hoping that Kaymer keeps dropping off so I don't have to include him in the team...

According to what I read, Franny Molinary had an absolutely magic round yesterday, apart from the first hole, which he double bogeyed. 9-under for the last 17 holes at Le Golf National, in windy conditions, would be easily the equivalent of a 59 or better at Greenbrier... Great to see him getting inside the RC frame after this. Apart from Kaymer, from those that are currently making the team, Hanson and Garcia are two others who would need to show over the next month that their recent questionable form is back where it should be... On the other hand, guys like Siem, RC Bello and Padraig (!), would be already on Ollie's radar as potential picks if they continue with the form shown lately...

And a great week also for Rapha Jacquelin, keeping the French flag flying at Le Golf National, as well as for David Howell, as mentioned already...

i think it would take a lot for padraig to get a picky from Ollie.
as far as i know they are far from the best of buds and olazabal has already suggested to make the team he needs to do so automatically

hend085 wrote:i think it would take a lot for padraig to get a picky from Ollie.
as far as i know they are far from the best of buds and olazabal has already suggested to make the team he needs to do so automatically

Given previous ryder cup form he'd prob be right not to give P-Harr a pick. Why aren't they buds? can't imagine Padraig falling out with anyone!

I hope he doesn't get a pick or qualify. He's got a wretched Ryder Cup record.

incontinentia wrote:

hend085 wrote:i think it would take a lot for padraig to get a picky from Ollie.
as far as i know they are far from the best of buds and olazabal has already suggested to make the team he needs to do so automatically

Given previous ryder cup form he'd prob be right not to give P-Harr a pick. Why aren't they buds? can't imagine Padraig falling out with anyone!

it goes back about 10 years to a seve trophy match when they had a bit of a spat over a ruling.
i dont remember specifically but it was something like Harrington said Olly fixed a spike mark, Olly said that was a pitch mark etc.
Olly picked up his ball and conceded the hole and they didnt speak for the rest of the round. dont think Olly appreciated his integrity being questioned.
i might be slightly off the mark on the specifics but that was the general jist of it

Hend if Padraig gave him that stare he does im not surprised.

I would rather see Colesaerts in than Padraig

heres a couple of links!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/karl-macginty-pdraig-just-wants-to-forget-olazabal-row-195702.html

http://www.golfmagic.com/features/olazabal-in-rules-bust-up/3500.html

Unless he makes it in on merit, I would also pick someone else rather than Padraig. Agree that his match play record is not at all great, but on top of that, I also think that someone with such a strong personality and strong opinions like he normaly has, is not necessarily always a good thing to have in a team environment... In certain circumstances something like that can be very useful, but in others not so much.....

The Euro RC Cup continues to be muddled up. I am pretty certain of 10 or 11 of USA Ryder Cup team, but I am only sure of 5 on the Euro Team (all Great Britain (Luke, Rory, Lee, Graeme, Justin).

Three or four months ago, I would thought Lawrie, Kaymer, Hanson, and Garcia would have been near-locks for the Ryder Cup team.

Now? Not so sure. All four players positions are tenuous. They are really fortunate that no one from just outside the team have stepped up since Colsaerts win at the Match Play. Molinari was off the radar screen and now he is contention. As is Siem.

Colsearts, Cabrera-Bello Gonzo, Quiros, Bjorn have all been relatively flat for awhile.

can any of the potential RC rookies (Gonzo, RCB, Nicholas, Alvaro or even Siem) step up and make a statement?

With Paddy playing better, Ollie has to be considering him for a Captains pick along with Poulter.

cabrera bello came second in Ireland!
i think Siem would be disastrous on the team. he just doesnt have the temperament for it as far as i can tell. in fact i think you could say the same for Gonzo and possibly Bjorn/Quiroz too.
hopefully Kaymer can show a bit of form in the coming months.

The European team is likely to have McIlroy, Rose, McDowell, Lawrie, Kaymer, Westwood, Donald, probably Molinari and Garcia. Hanson could be the other qualifier. Wild cards - anyone's guess, but not Harrington. He'll have to qualify, or he won't be going.

George1507 wrote: Wild cards - anyone's guess, but not Harrington. He'll have to qualify, or he won't be going.

Do you have some inside track George?

I would be astonished if Poulter wasn't there, either automatically or as the 1st wildcard. He'd be the first name in my team.

Bob_the_Job wrote:

George1507 wrote: Wild cards - anyone's guess, but not Harrington. He'll have to qualify, or he won't be going.

Do you have some inside track George?

No inside track, but there was a pretty big spat between Harrington and Olazabal a few years ago, referred to further up this thread. And Harrington's RC record is not great, so I doubt he'll be anywhere near the top of Olazabal's list.

See Ollie paired with Rock last week for first two rounds.Seems to have lost a spark recently,not playing scotland and missed a few other playing opportunites.Needs to do something at Lytham to have a chance