Out of the Rough: FedEx Open de France (2026)
Updated: Sep 21
The DP World Tour returns to the 2018 Ryder Cup and 2024 Olympic Games venue, Le Golf National, for this week’s FedEx Open de France.
Le Golf National will look a bit different for the 108th edition of Continental Europe’s oldest standing national open.
Due to the Grand Paris Express Line 18 metro expansion, the course underwent a near two-year long renovation, beginning just after the 2024 playing of the FedEx Open de France.
Last year’s installment was played at the Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in Le Golf National’s absence.
Including this season, Le Golf National has hosted the FedEx Open de France a record 31 times. The closest competitor in Racing Club de France La Boulie who have hosted 20.
The Field
Again, with the PGA Tour playing its FedEx Cup Fall swing and with the President’s Cup taking place at the same time, plenty of the PGA Tour’s best will be teeing it up in France.
A combination of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland highlight this week’s field in France.
Kristoffer Reitan, Ryan Gerard, Michael Kim and Bud Cauley join the list of the PGA Tour regulars playing this week.
Notable DP World tour regulars playing this week include Eugenio Chacarra, Andy Sullivan, Nacho Elivra, Joe Dean, Shaun Norris, Hennie Du Plessis, Angel Ayora and Dan Bradbury. All currently rank within the top-20 of the Race to Dubai Standings.
The last time a Frenchman won his own national open was Jean-François Remésy in 2005 who won his second of back-to-back Open de France titles.
Notable frenchmen looking to end the absence of hometown winners playing this week include Matthieu Pavon, Victor Perez, Adrien Saddier, Martin Couvra, Julien Guerrier, Federic Lacroix, David Ravetto, Antoine Rozner, Romain Langasque, Ugo Coussaud, Tom Vaillant and Oihan Guillamoundeguy.
Kim, although at a different venue, comes in as the defending champion, topping both Elvis Smylie and Jeong-Weon Ko by a single stroke. Smylie and Ko will also be playing this week along with Kim.
Bradbury won the 2024 edition, the last time this event was played at Le Golf National, holding off a slew of golfers by a single stroke.
Other former winners of this event playing this week include Guido Migliozzi (2022,) Fleetwood (2017) and Marcel Siem (2012.)
The Course
The Le Golf National in Paris, France has been the host of the FedEx Open De France since 1991, outside of 1999, 2001 and 2025.
The Albatros Course at Le Golf National plays as a par-71 at 7,331 yards.
As previously mentioned, Le Golf National was closed for nearly two-years to undergo a massive renovation.
Under the guidance of Russell Talley, the renovation saw over 91,000 cubic-tons of earth moved and the addition of 17 new bunkers.
The renovation saw the complete rerouting of holes four, five and six. The timber-borders of holes one, two, 15 and 18 were also replaced with modern profiles.
The biggest change however is that all of the tee boxes, fairways and greens have been converted to resilient Bentgrass. Additionally a brand new irrigation system was installed in the renovation.
The course was originally designed by Hubert Chesneau and Robert Van Hagge. The course underwent some significant changes prior to the 2016 edition of the FedEx Open de France in preparation for the hosting of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
It was also the host of the 2024 Olympic Games that saw Scottie Scheffler claim the gold medal.
The Le Golf National is a fairly exposed course that has a links-style feel to it.
The fairways are average in width and feature undulations.
The greens are bentgrass and are average in size as well. These bentgrass greens run at around 12 on the stimpmeter.
Water is in play on holes one, two, 13, 15, 16 and 18 as well.
Finding the fairways here at Le Golf National is more important than bombing the ball off the tee. The rough featured this week is slightly penal as well.
Off-the-tee metrics aren’t the most important here, as it is what golfers do after their tee shots that will make-or-break it at this venue.
Finding these average-sized greens in regulation is the key to victory at Le Golf National. If greens are to be missed, golfers who are above-average in scrambling will see a leg up.
Bradbury’s and Migliozzi’s -16 was the lowest winning score of any FedEx Open De France since 2000. Typically, a winning score in the low teens or even high single-digits has been enough.
In all, the course demands patience.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, Thursday has the highest chance of precipitation this week at just ten-percent. The rest of the week calls for just a five-percent chance. Temperatures will be the lowest on Thursday with a high of 76-degrees before increasing to 78-degrees on Friday, 80-degrees on Saturday and 81-degrees on Sunday. Winds will peak at ten miles-per-hour on Friday and Saturday to nearly non-existent across the weekend.
Key Stats
Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)
Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (SG: OTT) / Driving Accuracy
Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)
Par 4 Average Scoring
Bogey Avoidance
Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)
Sand Saves Percentage
Betting Card
Ryan Gerard (+1600)
I truly believe this is the week that Gerard gets into the win column. On top of being in form and matching up statistically to Le Golf National, he has a giant chip on his shoulder as he was omitted from the Presidents Cup team. As the best of the USA Team and the International Team battle it out at Medinah Country Club, Gerard will look to show the world he warranted a spot on the team. On the DP World Tour he is currently first in scrambling, fourth in SG: APP, sixth in SG: OTT, 14th in SG: PUTT, 22nd in bogey avoidance, 38th in par-four average scoring, 60th in GIR%, 67th in driving accuracy percentage, 118th in SG: ATG and 140th in sand saves percentage. He placed 27th last week at the BMW PGA Championship and was 30th at the Omega European Masters. He’ll be making his FedEx Open de France debut this week.
Victor Perez (+3500)
When it comes to these national opens, I love to have at least one countryman on my betting card and this week that is Perez. He missed the cut last week at the BMW PGA Championship but looking back to his earlier stint on the DP World Tour this season he placed 28th at The Open Championship, ninth at the Genesis Scottish Open, ninth at the BMW International and second at the Soudal Open. You can also toss in his T22nd at LIV Golf New York and T23rd at LIV Golf United Kingdom in the mix there as well. On the DP World Tour he is currently second in par-four average scoring ,third in bogey avoidance, sixth in GIR%, eighth in SG: ATG, 18th in scrambling, 22nd in SG: OTT, 52nd in SG: PUTT, 92nd in SG: APP, 113th in driving accuracy percentage and 152nd in sand saves percentage. Perez also set the France golf world ablaze back in 2024 as he was just one-stroke shy of making the podium at the Olympics. He placed 32nd here at Le Golf National in 2024. He also missed the cut in 2023, placed 30th in 2022, 16th in 2019 and missed the cut in 2018. I talked about Gerard playing with a chip on his shoulder but Perez will be looking to become the first Frenchman to win his national open since 21 years.
Ewen Ferguson (+4500)
The Scottish golf world is full of excitement as Sandy Scott secured his first Korn Ferry Tour victory last week at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship. Scott also claimed a PGA Tour card in the process. Ferguson, who topped my stats-based model this week, will look to keep the party in Scotland rolling this week in France. Ferguson is currently ninth on Tour in par-four average scoring, 11th in bogey avoidance, 15th in SG: OTT, 16th in GIR%, 20th in driving accuracy percentage, 30th in SG: APP, 38th in scrambling, 48th in SG: PUTT, 85th in SG: ATG and 100th in sand saves percentage. He’s currently on a great run of form as well, placing 56th last week at the BMW PGA Championship, ninth at the Amgen Irish Open, 15th at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo, 24th at the Nexo Championship and ninth at the Danish Golf Championship. Ferguson also placed 37th here at Le Golf National in 2024, tenth in 2023 and missed the cut in 2022.
Kazuma Kobori (+12500)
Anytime we visit a golf course that requires accuracy off-the-tee, Kobori is going to demand a look. He is currently first on Tour in driving accuracy percentage. He is also 15th in sand saves percentage, 21st in bogey avoidance, 23rd in par-four average scoring, 44th in scrambling, 52nd in SG: APP, 57th in SG: PUTT, 60th in SG: ATG, 78th in GIR% and 117th in SG: OTT. He also placed 56th last week at the BMW PGA Championship. Prior to that he was 14th at the Amgen Irish Open and ninth at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. He’ll be making his FedEx Open de France debut this week.
Yannik Paul (+18000)
I typically don’t do this. I normally make all of my plays with a heavy focus on statistics. However, the form at Le Golf National for Paul can’t be ignored and I’ve been burned in the past ignoring course history and favoring statistics. I figured at a number this big, it was worth a shot. When it comes to golfers with at least two-starts at Le Golf National across the past five playings, no one has a better average finishing placement than Paul. He placed second in 2024, sixth in 2023 and eighth in 2022. He does have some good form coming into this week as well, placing 21st last week at the BMW PGA Championship and 11th at the Amgen Irish Open. The stats aren't what we would like to see however. He is currently 18th on Tour in SG: PUTT, 31st in sand saves percentage, 46th in SG: ATG, 87th in scrambling, 141st in SG: APP, 152nd in GIR%, 153rd in par-four average scoring and 171st in SG: OTT.
2024 Betting Card
Jordan Smith (+2800) - T13th
Matteo Manassero (+4500) - T49th
Yannik Paul (+5000) - T2nd
Adrian Otaegui (+7500) - T57th
Tom Vaillant (+9000) - T32nd
2023 Betting Card
Alexander Bjork (+2000) - MC
Yannik Paul (+3300) - T6th
Thorbjorn Olesen (+3500) - T10th
Adrian Otaegui (+5500) - T16th
Nathan Kimsey (+7500) - T14th
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