Benjamin Hebert is the highest Frenchman in the field for the French Open at Le Paris National this week. Picture by GETTY IMAGES
BENJAMIN Hebert is currently the top ranked French player on the Race to Dubai, and he is hoping a maiden European Tour win on home soil at this week’s Amundi French Open can help him break into the top 10 – or better.
The 32-year-old has two second place finishes this season, at the Volvo China Open and the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.
Hebert said: “It’s my best season so far. I have two second places, but I think I could have been a little bit better.
“Still chasing the first win, but I’ll try to improve every part of my game and I think it could be soon.
“I’m in a good position on the Race to Dubai. Like with my game, I will try to improve this placing and maybe get into the top ten or better.
“This is a very important end of the season coming up, and it’s going to be good,” Hebert added.
“It’s always special to play on home soil, with so many home fans watching. It’s always interesting to learn how to manage this different pressure.
“We’re playing on a great golf course and I just try to enjoy it,” added Hebert, who currently sits in 17th place on the Race to Dubai rankings as the season enters the final stretch.
He is joined at Le Golf National for continental Europe’s oldest national open by a host of his compatriots, including one man who has already tasted victory this season – Alfred Dunhill Links Championship winner Victor Perez.
The European Challenge Tour graduate will be under a different kind of pressure this week after making his debut in the event last season.
But Perez, who currently lives in Dundee where his girlfriend is studying at the Scottish university, is hoping to keep relaxed and treat the week like any other tournament.
Perez said: “Being a Frenchman it’s important to be here and play in front of the home fans. A lot of French players are having a good season and really looking forward to the tournament.
“Winning a couple of weeks ago means there is a little bit of attention on me, so I think it’s important to come out and play in front of home fans and hopefully have a good week.
“You want to try to enjoy it as much as possible. It’s very easy to put extra pressure on yourself to perform.
“But also you can think about it the other way and really enjoy the fact the fans are here to cheer for you,” Perez added.
“Then it’s just about having a blast and free-wheeling it, I think that’s a better attitude than feeling the extra pressure.”
Romain Langasque – the winner of the 2016 Amateur Championship at Carnoustie – is also aiming to cap off a fine season with victory in front of home crowds at the Amundi Open de France, which is often described as an inland links, with its long grasses and tightly mown, narrow fairways.
Langasque has been edging towards his first European Tour win with three top three finishes.
The 2016 Spanish Amateur Champion, who beat Hampshire’s Scott Gregory in the final, is relishing the challenge posed by the famously testing Albatros Course, which hosted Europe’s victory over the United States in the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Langasque said: “It’s always important to play in front of the French crowd.
“I know this course very well and I think it’s one of the best on the European Tour.
“My first time playing my home open was tough, but now I’m better prepared, and I enjoy it so much, sharing these moments with my family and friends.
“With the weather as well this week I think it will be a tough test again. The 18th is a tough tee shot under pressure because of the bank on the right and the water on the left.
“The second shot is quite tough because of the pressure, you see a lot of water,” added Langasque.
“It’s one of the best finishing holes on Tour and I hope to have my chance down there on Sunday.”
Two Frenchmen have claimed the Open de France at the Ryder Cup venue – Thomas Levet in 2011, and Jean-Francois Remesy, who won back-to-back 14 years ago. Both are now playing on the Staysure Seniors Tour.
