There is an undeniable joie de vivre in French golf at the moment. Competition is breeding success, with six players in the field for the DP World Tour Championship. While that may be the same number as last year’s season finale, 2024 will undeniably go down as a year in which the French flag imprinted itself back in the golfing minds of everyone.
After three wins for French golfers last season, the signs were there but this year only underlines the strength in depth within their ranks.
David Ravetto, Frederic Lacroix and Julien Guerrier have all won for the first time on the DP World Tour this season.
The former two each earned their cards via pathways: D+D REAL Czech Masters winner Ravetto through Qualifying School and Danish Golf Championship winner Lacroix through the Challenge Tour. While both are under 30, Guerrier has been around for far longer with his breakthrough win in Spain last month coming on his 230th DP World Tour appearance.
In a little over the last 12 months, four Frenchman have entered the DP World Tour winner’s circle. The other being Matthieu Pavon, who since winning the Acciona Open de España presented by Madrid last October, has gone on to become a winner on the PGA TOUR in his rookie season.
While Pavon is the current undisputed top French male golfer, prior to him it was three-time DP World Tour winner Victor Perez who led the way. But with much of their focus directed at playing opportunities stateside as dual members, others are stepping up.
With one week to go on the 2024 Race to Dubai, there are hopes that the French presence on both sides of the Atlantic could be strengthened further.
After England, France has the most players in the top 30 on the rankings.
Romain Langasque, who won his maiden DP World Tour title in Wales in 2020, is one of four French golfers ranked between 20th and 30th on the season-long standings. The other three are Guerrier, Rozner and Lacroix. Ugo Coussaud is just outside at 31st.
All are hoping to produce one final big performance of the campaign to finish among the top ten non exempt golfers on the rankings and claim a PGA TOUR card.
Since graduating from the Challenge Tour last season, Coussaud has impressed in his rookie season. The 32-year-old finished runner-up in Qatar and has since registered further top tens including at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Asked about the competition between the French golfers, Coussaud said: “It’s nice. We want to beat [each other], you don’t want to be the last Frenchman, you want to be beat another friend.
“Last week, I knew that Antoine (Rozner) made a 63 to get to 20 under and I had a 27-footer for birdie and said to myself I couldn’t let him beat me, he was too far behind me. And I made the putt, so I was quite happy about that.”
Next on his to-do list: win.
“Big time. This year or next year… I mean it is a big goal,” he said.
Another player in action over the Earth course this week is Ravetto, who came into the week with a mathematical chance of earning dual membership status despite being 50th on the Race to Dubai.
Having realised more than what he’d set himself, Ravetto is happy to have played his part in the overall achievements of his country.
“It was nice to be the first [winner] this year," he said. "We have a really nice generation.
“The French federation have done a really good job, we all play well, and I am sure we are going to see more French wins, hopefully this year but certainly next year for sure.”
And there is every reason for belief in his optimism.
Of the 22 players who earned DP World Tour cards via the Challenge Tour earlier this month, four were French – headlined by five-time DP World Tour winner Alexander Levy.
And on Thursday, the French contingent on the DP World Tour for the upcoming 2025 campaign was further strengthened with Bastien Amat and Clément Sordet earning their cards at Final Stage of Qualifying School.
Add into the mix young players such as Jeong weon Ko and Tom Vaillant, who both impressed on the DP World Tour in 2024, and everything points to a sustained period of success in French golf.
