Having missed the cut for the first time in almost a year in Germany last week, Danny Willett is determined to bounce back in style in the 100th Open de France.
Rounds of 74 and 70 in the BMW International Open meant Willett missed the weekend’s action for the first time since last year’s Open de France but, with a run of important tournaments coming up, the Englishman feels the enforced rest may serve as a blessing in disguise.
Willett, who was presented with a medal and a bottle of premium red wine by the French Golf Federation in recognition of his Masters victory, has two top ten finishes to his name in six previous visits to the tournament, but he is keen to enhance that record at the recently-remodelled Le Golf National, which will host The Ryder Cup in two years’ time.
With a prize fund of €3.5 million and enhanced World Ranking and Ryder Cup points up for grabs in Versailles, Willett is keen to recapture his early season form and extend his lead at the top of the Race to Dubai over his nearest challenger and fellow Major Champion Rory McIlroy, who is also in the field this week.
Willett said: “It’s been a while since I had the weekend off, but maybe it’s what I needed after a long stretch. I played terribly on Thursday but it was much more like it on Friday, but I still missed the cut by one. It’s a busy schedule coming up, so a bit of respite so perhaps it wasn’t the end of the world.
It’s been a while since I had the weekend off, but maybe it’s what I needed after a long stretch.
Danny Willett
“Some people say I’ve had a bit of a dip since the Masters, but it depends what you class a lull as. The US Open was tough, but I finished third at Wentworth and was leading in Ireland until the last day, so it hasn’t been too bad. I haven’t won but have only played four tournaments and got into contention in two of them, so everything’s relative. I guess I’m judged by different standards after Augusta, but I’ll have to get used to that.”
Willett’s fellow Englishman Lee Westwood is another player looking to recover from a disappointing last outing, having played himself into contention at the US Open Championship only to fall away on the final day.
But his four previous appearances all yielded top 15 finishes, and the Ryder Cup star is hoping to keep that run going at a tournament where he has enjoyed a fair degree of success in the past, including a runner-up finish behind Martin Kaymer in 2009.
Westwood said: “Historically, I’ve always played the French Open. There were a few years before when I didn’t play, but if you go back to 1994, the first time I played here, I finished fourth behind Mark Roe. I’ve liked it ever since – it’s such a stern test in the last few holes. If you win, you prove that you can beat pretty much everyone in the world and play well under the ultimate pressure.
I’ve always liked it – it’s such a stern test in the last few holes.
Lee Westwood
“I’m feeling much more comfortable and I start to feel like I can contend week in, week out. Since the Masters I have been up there on the leaderboard in Ireland, and would have finished fifth with a four on the last instead of a six. At Wentworth, I was in the second to last group on Sunday, but I had a poor round and finished 15th. Then I had a top ten in Sweden, and was in the second to last group at the U.S. Open on Sunday. So the form is pretty good, and I’m looking forward to the stretch of events coming up.”
