As the European Challenge Tour returns to France for the third and final time this season at the Cordon Golf Open, we look at four players who could be in with a shot of taking victory at the Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André this week.
Sebastien Gros
The French love a local winner, as we saw when Benjamin Hebert triumphed here last year, and Gros has already obliged them once this season, securing his maiden Challenge Tour victory at the Najeti Open Presented by Neuflize OBC in June.
The 25 year old stormed home to win by six strokes on that occasion and has claimed three other top five finishes to currently sit in third place in the Road to Oman Rankings.
He made the cut in this event last year and has finished in the top 25 at his past two tournaments, so he looks to be the strongest of the home hopes this week.
Hugues Joannes
Joannes seems to enjoy playing golf on French soil, having finished tied 12that the Najeti Open and tied tenth at Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge earlier this season.
The Belgian enjoyed this event last year too, finishing in a tie for fourth in his first full season on the Challenge Tour.
The 26 year old has yet to taste victory, his best finish a second place at last year’s Fred Olsen Challenge de España, but will be keen to change that this week.
Thomas Linard
Always the bridesmaid, could this be the week that Linard is finally a Challenge Tour winner? The Frenchman would certainly be a popular champion.
He could not have come closer to a maiden win on home soil as he finished runner-up in the two French tournaments this season, the Najeti Open and Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge.
Those finishes have helped take the 27 year old to 12thposition in the Rankings and, having finished in the top 20 at his last two events, Linard will be hoping his form holds to take an overdue victory in his home country.
Robert Coles
The experienced Englishman has not tasted Challenge Tour victory for six years now but his form suggests this might be the week that he can re-emerge as a champion.
In addition to a tie for 12that the Najeti Open and a tie for second at the SSE Scottish Hydro Challenge hosted by Macdonald Hotels and Resorts, Coles finished in the top 20 on his last outing at the ROLEX Trophy and he has form around this course, having tied for ninth here last year.
The 42 year old knows how to close out a victory, having won three times on the Challenge Tour in his career, so will not be overawed if he finds himself in the hunt on Sunday afternoon.
