Alex Noren has fond memories of Le Golf National after holing a monster putt to get in the play-off last year – and then hole a monster putt in the Ryder Cup singles three months later. Picture by GETTY IMAGES
ALEX Noren returns to a venue full of incredible memories as he aims to defend his Amundi Open de France title this week.
The Swede claimed a one-shot win at Paris’ Le Golf National in July last year.
And more glory was to follow three months later as he made a memorable Ryder Cup debut, which included one of the greatest moments of his career.
With team victory assured and the celebrations going on around him, Noren holed a monster putt for a birdie on the last to beat Bryson DeChambeau one-up to put the gloss on a 17½-10½ triumph for Europe.
Noren said: “It was an amazing week last year. I just made the cut and then had a great weekend.
“I didn’t think I was even going to get into a play-off with the score I had, I thought I had to make the putt on the last, that long putt.
“I just missed it, but then it was pretty tough coming in for the rest of the guys and I ended up winning. I felt very fortunate.
“The putt on 18 at the Ryder Cup was amazing, maybe the best moment of my golfing career.
“I know the whole match was over, but my game was still going and the coaches and captains had told us to keep going until the end of every match.
“It just felt great to finish my game like that and it ended up being the finish of the whole match.”
The 10-time European Tour winner is joined in the field this week by double Major champion Martin Kaymer.
The former World No. 1 has played in every edition of this event since turning professional, and counts the 2009 Open de France among his 11 European Tour titles.
“I think it’s one of the best golf courses that we play on the European Tour,” said the 2010 USPGA and 2015 US Open Champion.
“We used to play on a different date for the last 12 years or so that I have been here, so this week it will be a little different.
“My win in 2009 was a very enjoyable week in many ways. I was very in control of my game.
The German, who broke through with his first European Challenge Tour win back in 2006, said: “I had so much support during that week and I was playing really well.
“The week after I also won in Loch Lomond at the Scottish Open, so it was a really nice time for me.
“It was always one of those tournaments that you would like to win in your career, and fortunately I could win it fairly early in my career.”
Noren and Kaymer will face a strong local challenge around the famously testing Albatros Course this week, with the three in-form Frenchmen inside the top 25 of the Race to Dubai Rankings.
They are Benjamin Hebert, Victor Perez – the recent winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links – and former Amateur Champion Romain Langasque – all seeking to add gloss to impressive seasons with victory on home soil.
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