**Stats from 1972 onwards
First played: 1906 (part of The European Tour since 1972)
Most wins: Audrey Boomer, 5, 1921, 22, 26, 29 and 31
Most consecutive wins: M Dallemagne, 3, 1936-38
Youngest winner: Seve Ballesteros, 20 and 29 days, 1977
Oldest winner: Sam Torrance, 44 and 308 days, 1998
Lowest 18 hole score: 62 (-9), Seve Ballesteros, 1985
Lowest first 18 hole score: 62 (-9), Seve Ballesteros, 1985
Lowest 36 hole score: 130 (-12), Seve Ballesteros, 1985
Lowest 54 hole score: 194 (-19), Seve Ballesteros, 1985
Lowest 72 hole score: 262 (-14), Lu, Liang Huan, 1971
Lowest under par winning score: 265 (-23), Barry Jaeckel, 1972
Lowest final round by a winner: 63 (-9), José Rivero 1987, Paul Broadhurst 1995
Wire-to-wire-winners: Seve Ballesteros 1985 and 86, Retief Goosen 1997,
. Sam Torrance 1998
Largest winning margin: 8 shots, Paul Broadhurst, 1995
Biggest final round
comeback by a winner: 8 shots, José Rivero, 1987
Play-offs: Barry Jaeckel beat Clive Clark, 1972
. Nick Faldo beat José Maria Canizares, 1983
. Philip Walton beat Bernhard Langer, 1990
. Costantino Rocca beat Paul McGinley, 1993
. Robert Allenby beat Bernhard Langer, 1996
. Retief Goosen beat Greg Turner, 1999
Holes-in-one: David A Russell, 1984, 6th hole, rnd 1
. Thierry Mathon, 1984, 11th hole, rnd 1
. Ronan Rafferty, 1986, 3rd hole, rnd 3
. Grant Turner, 1989, 14th hole, rnd 2
. Philip Walton, 1990, 16th hole, rnd 2
. Jeremy Robinson, 1994, 16th hole, rnd 3
. Howard Clark, 1994, 11th hole, rnd 4
. John Mellor, 1999, 8th hole, rnd 1
Low cut: 140 (Level), 141, (-3)
High cut: 153 (+11), 1974
INTERESTING FACTS
The Novotel Perrier Open de France was first played in 1906 and won by Arnaud Massy, who went on two become the first foreign-born winner of the Open Golf Championship in 1907. The last Frenchman to win his home Open was Jean Garaialde in 1969. The event is rich in history and is the second oldest National Open on The European Tour International Schedule, behind the Open Golf Championship. The tournament promises a close finish - since the formation of The European Tour International Schedule in 1972, the Novotel Perrier Open de France holds the record for most play-offs - six - a record shared with the Murphy's Irish Open, Atlanet Italian Open and the German Open.
The event has a history of great champions. Since 1973 no fewer than ten Volvo Order of Merit winners have triumphed in France. Peter Oosterhuis, Seve Ballesteros, Dale Hayes, Bernard Gallacher, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie.
