An American in Paris, Houston’s Michael Kim, broke French hearts by denying the charging local Jeong Weon Ko to win the FedEx Open de France at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, on the western outskirts of the City of Love.
The host course was once the popular venue of the Trophée Lancôme, a much-missed and highly regarded tournament held every year between 1970 and 2003 (latterly on the European Tour).
Arnold Palmer won the second edition in 1971, and Americans dominated the honours board over the next decade with Tommy Aaron, Johnny Miller (twice), Billy Casper, and Lee Trevino (also twice) all adding their names to the list of winners. Mark O’Meara did so, too, in 1997.
Unlike them all, Kim is not a major championship winner but among those he outperformed in the final round was another compatriot who has been victorious in five of them.
Because, in contrast to Kim, who carded a final-round 65 for a winning total of 16-under 268, the 54-hole co-leader Brooks Koepka stalled late on Sunday, completing the back nine in 1-over par to end the week solo fourth, two shots behind the winner.
Elvis Smylie, a 23-year-old Australian, posted a bogey-free final round of 65 to share second with Ko, whose own Sunday 65 included a pair of eagle-3s and a surge of French ecstasy.
It was a remarkable effort by the 27-year-old Ko, who had topped a tee shot in his third round but defied that memory with a thrilling display that had the locals chanting “Ko! Ko! Ko!” as he left the course.
Moments later Kim drained a 16-foot par putt on the par-3 18th to clinch victory and dampen Parisian spirits.
The 32-year-old not only emulated his many compatriots by winning at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche, he also became the fourth American winner of the Open de France after Walter Hagen (1920), Byron Nelson (1955) and Barry Jaeckel (1972).
“It feels amazing,” he said afterward. “I haven’t won since the 2018 John Deere Classic and I really wanted to put on a good showing here this week after a really good year on the PGA Tour. This feels like the perfect cherry on top.
“I have a flight tomorrow morning but, right until that point, I’ll be drinking plenty of French wine and some champagne, I’m sure.”
The tournament, the oldest national Open in continental Europe, was moved from Le Golf National for one year.
The host of the 2018 Ryder Cup is taking the chance to renovate and redesign the Albatros course while the Paris underground railway is extended, a new station for the course is built, and a direct line to Paris Orly airport is completed.
Matt Cooper