The European Challenge Tour returns to France for the Cordon Golf Open, the third and final French event of the season, with high hopes for a home champion.
There are 46 French players hoping to thrill crowds at the Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André, foremost among them Sebastien Gros, already a winner in France this season having triumphed at the Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC in June (see highlights below).
The 25 year old is currently third in the Road to Oman Rankings, with three further top five finishes to his name this season, and is keen to do well again this week.
He said: “It is a special week for me since my main sponsor, Serge Cordon, became the title sponsor of the tournament here in my home region.
“My game is currently not as good as it was a couple months ago when I had it all in good shape but I still manage to be competitive. That is, I think, a great way to see a player’s evolution, when you can still perform while not being at your best.
“And I am quite lucky because I’m able to get back into good form very quickly – just as quickly as I can lose it again sometimes!
“I’ve felt quite tired in the last few weeks, especially after the ROLEX Trophy which was really testing, but yesterday I had a good training session with my coach and this week should be great.”
Since the last French tournament, Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge in July where New Zealand’s Ryan Fox was victorious, a new French name has burst onto the Challenge Tour scene.
Clément Sordet claimed a maiden victory at the Northern Ireland Open Presented by Sphere Global and Ulster Bank in just his fourth professional event (see highlights below), and he is looking forward to playing in front of home crowds this week.
“This week I feel really good,” said the 22 year old. “I had my first victory three weeks ago so now I can enter all tournaments, and this has made a big difference to my plans.
“Everything happened quite quickly. I came back from university in the US and I was just expecting to get a bit of experience by playing in tournaments where I could get invitations and at best qualify for the Kazakhstan Open and get prepared for Q School, but now everything’s changed. I can reach the top 15 and go directly to the Tour.
“I am happy to play in France this week. Even though it is not that close to my hometown, I still feel quite at home – the course is beautiful, I just walked it yesterday. Now I just need to play my game and enjoy it.”
An impressive field is strengthened further by the presence of Rankings leader Ricardo Gouveia, now the highest ranked Portuguese golfer in history.
The 23 year old has been in relentless form this season, not missing a cut and recording ten top ten finishes, including coming second at the ROLEX Trophy on his last outing and taking victory at the AEGEAN Airlines Challenge Tour by Hartl Resort.
The ROLEX Trophy champion Nacho Elvira will be a notable absentee, that victory having earned him immediate promotion to The European Tour for the remainder of the year and for the 2016 season.
The chances of a home winner were hit slightly by the late withdrawal of Thomas Linard with a wrist injury. Linard had finished second in the two previous events on French soil this season and was eager to go one better to strengthen his position in the top 15 of the Road to Oman Rankings.
