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Open de France Power Rankings: Top 10 players at Le Golf National

By Mike Randleman

PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29: A general view from the 1st green at sunrise during the second round of the Paris Legends Championship played at Le Golf National on September 29, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - SEPTEMBER 29: A general view from the 1st green at sunrise during the second round of the Paris Legends Championship played at Le Golf National on September 29, 2017 in Paris, France. (Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images) /
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Open De France Power Rankings
Open de France Power Rankings (Photo by Phil Inglis/Getty Images) /

The HNA Open de France is smack dab in the middle of an exciting stretch of golf in continental Europe. The third event of the Rolex Series brings out some big guns in advance of the Ryder Cup. Who will come out on top?

The European Tour is well-known for being a tour not just limited to its continental namesake. The tour travels to six continents and dozens of countries. It’s this time of the year, however, where we get to enjoy some of the classic opens: the BMW International Open in Germany, this week’s Open de France, the Irish Open and the Scottish Open in a fun buildup to The Open at Carnoustie.

This week’s field at Le Golf National in Paris serves up a better field than its counterpart on the PGA Tour, the Quicken Loans National.

Three of the top 10 and seven of the top 25 in the world are in France compared to just one of the top 10 and three of the top 25.

Several prospective European Ryder Cup team members, as well as a lock for the U.S. side, Justin Thomas are at Le Golf National to get an up close and personal look of the course that will be hosting the big event in three months’ time.

Players will be vying for a $7 million purse with this being the first of three straight Rolex Series events leading up to the Open’s $10.25 million purse.

Le Golf National’s Albatros course has hosted the Open de France every year since 1991, save for two. It underwent renovations in 2016.

The course features fast greens (composed of meadow and Bentgrass) and undulating fairways. It plays to a par-71 at 7,247 yards. Water comes into play at 15, 16 and 18, making for a tough finish.

Trouble lurks off the tee, so finding the fairway is crucial. Most winners here in the past have been toward the top in driving accuracy.

Greens in regulation and scrambling will also be important stats to watch. Temperatures will be unseasonably warm this week in the 90s Fahrenheit.

Winning score generally hovers around low single digits under par, so don’t expect a total birdie fest.

This event has featured a who’s who of winners since its debut in 1906 from Walter Hagen, Byron Nelson, Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, etc.

See who could add his name to the illustrious list on Sunday and could give captain Thomas Bjorn something to think about as he makes his final team decisions later this year.

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