DID YOU KNOW – ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCE
• The Alstom Open de France not only the oldest National Open Championship on Continental Europe, dating back to 1906, but also the richest, with a prize fund of €3,000,000.
• History was created in the 1986 Open de France when Seve Ballesteros became the first player to successfully defend a European Tour title and win both years in a wire-to-wire fashion, in 1985 and 1986.
• The 2008 Champion, Pablo Larrazabal had to qualify to play in the event and became the first qualifier to win the Alstom Open de France and just the then seventh qualifier in the history of The European Tour to win. His wire-to-wire triumph was the first by a rookie in this fashion since Henrik Stenson at the 2001 Benson and Hedges International Open.
• The Alstom Open de France is used to high profile players winning the Championship. No less than 18 Major Champions have their name etched on the roll of honour. The field assembled for the 2010 Championship includes no fewer than 107 players who have won on The European Tour.
• Defending champion, Martin Kaymer is trying to become just the second German, following Bernhard Langer (1981-82 German Open and 1985-86 German Open) to successfully defend a European Tour title. Should Kaymer win again, he would become the 30th different player to win the same event in back-to-back years in European Tour history.
