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 17^th 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.

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Thomas Levet claimed his first Staysure title in the Farmfoods European Seniors Masters at the Forest of Arden, beating Markus Brier by a shot. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THOMAS Levet won his first Staysure Tour title by carding the lowest round of the final day at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters, at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

The Frenchman, who made his over-50s debut in this event last year, posted a closing four-under par round of 68 to reach 10-under for the tournament hosted by Midlands Ryder Cup star Peter Baker.

That was one shot clear of Austrian Markus Brier, who finished second on nine-under, and two shots clear of Paul Lawrie, Jarmo Sandelin and Ian Woosnam, who shared third place on eight-under.

Levet came out firing and made the turn in four-under, which was how he finished after carding three birdies and three bogeys on the back nine.

But he holed a tricky short par putt on the 18th hole to secure victory at the Coventry course which regularly hosted the British Masters 20 years ago.

“It’s just a pleasure, a pleasure to win,” Levet said. “I’ve been close lately, close to winning. I’ve been playing really well but my putter has not been there at all.

“My long game has been very good and I finally made some putts this week, added Levet, whose first win on English soil came in the 2001 British Masters after the event moved to Woburn after Victor Chandler became the title sponor.

“I started making some putts yesterday and it held up pretty well and I’m pleased because the conditions were really tough.

“To par the last hole here at Forest of Arden, it’s 218 yards into the wind, it’s enormous and I managed to hold my nerve and make par there, so it’s a great feeling,” added Levet.

The 51-year-old – who was on the winning European team at the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills, reached his final total by the time he made the turn and after that, it was a case of keeping his nerve and going back to basics.

Levet, who also lost a play-off in the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield, revealed: “I knew I was in the lead because I got off to a quick start and was four-under after nine, birdieing eight and nine.

“They were two tough holes and I knew I was in the lead because there is a leaderboard right there. There are no illusions: You see it and you know you are in the lead.

“I tried to keep my nerve and hit the greens. Paul Lawrie was fighting hard and he was holing putts to stay just behind me and he is always dangerous.

“He hit a beautiful shot on 17 but only made birdie and I made a safe par. I knew I had a one-shot lead on 18 and I managed to par it.

“I got an albatross last week in Austria and I won a big bottle of wine and I gave it to Markus Brier – so maybe that’s why I won the tournament.

“I gave him something last week and I wasn’t going to give him the play-off today,” said Levet, who won six times on the European Tour – has last victory was an emotional one at the 2011 French Open at Le Paris National.

On a day of difficult scoring conditions in England, only 12 players posted under-par rounds, including all of those finishing in a tie for third or better, with overnight leader Paul Broadhurst posting a level-par 72 to finish in sixth place.

South Africa’s James Kingston continued his good run of form by picking up his third top 10 in his last four starts by finishing seventh, while Qualifying School graduate José Manuel Carriles achieved the same feat by finishing eighth on five-under.

With victory, Levet moves up to 20th on the Staysure Tour Order of Merit having played only eight events this season, while Broadhurst’s sixth place at Forest of Arden was enough for him to leapfrog José Coceres and Bernhard Langer into second place in the money list.

Final scores:
206 T Levet (Fra) 69 69 68,
207 M Brier (Aut) 68 70 69,
208 P Lawrie (Sco) 69 69 70, J Sandelin (Swe) 68 71 69, I Woosnam (Wal) 70 68 70,
209 P Broadhurst (Eng) 69 68 72,
210 J Kingston (RSA) 71 69 70,
211 J Carriles (Esp) 70 70 71,
212 S Dodd (Wal) 68 71 73,
213 D Shacklady (Eng) 68 71 74, P Baker (Eng) 66 74 73, P Fowler (Aus) 70 68 75, D Olsen (USA) 67 74 72, G Marks (Eng) 71 71 71,
214 M Molina (Arg) 68 70 76, J Lomas (Eng) 72 71 71, C Suneson (Esp) 72 70 72,
215 J Haeggman (Swe) 74 70 71, P Price (Wal) 69 73 73,
216 R Gomez (Arg) 69 72 75, C Williams (RSA) 70 71 75, P Streeter (Eng) 75 68 73, P Wilson (Eng) 76 69 71, A Bossert (Sui) 72 71 73,
217 M Martin (Esp) 75 67 75,
218 T Thelen (USA) 71 75 72, G Wolstenholme (Eng) 72 72 74, G Evans (Eng) 70 68 80, S Tinning (Den) 70 75 73,
219 A Oldcorn (Sco) 74 74 71, M Farry (Fra) 70 72 77, M Mouland (Wal) 75 71 73, D Gilford (Eng) 75 69 75,
220 M Mackenzie (Eng) 71 73 76,
221 S Luna (Esp) 74 71 76,
222 S Brown (Eng) 73 77 72, C Dennis (USA) 75 73 74, P Golding (Eng) 76 68 78, P Eales (Eng) 69 73 80,
223 J Quiros (Esp) 73 73 77, J Coceres (Arg) 75 73 75,
224 J Remesy (Fra) 69 73 82,
227 S Richardson (Eng) 72 77 78,
228 D Smyth (Irl) 76 77 75, P Wesselingh (Eng) 75 73 80,
229 A Sherborne (Eng) 79 77 73, N Job (Eng) 78 79 72,
231 M Reynard (Eng) 78 75 78,
235 S Little (Eng) 76 74 85,
236 G Emerson (Eng) 75 81 80, C Rocca (Ita) 82 77 77, P Walton (Irl) 75 81 80,
247 N Sweet (Eng) 83 83 81,
** M Atlevi (Swe) DQ 0 0,

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Paul Broadhurst is puzzled why he still leading the Farmfoods European Seniors Masters at the Forest of Arden when his ball-striking has been off the boil. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

TWO-time Senior Major Champion Paul Broadhurst heads a star-studded leaderboard at the Farmfoods European Senior Masters on seven-under par after posting a second round of 68, at Forest of Arden Hotel and Country Club.

The Englishman carded five birdies, an eagle and three bogeys in his four -under par 68.

The 2016 Senior Open winner leads by one shot from a group of seven players on six-under, including two Major Champions in Paul Lawrie and Ian Woosnam.

Broadhurst, playing in his first Staysure Tour event of the season, outside of the Senior Majors, was somewhat relieved to see his name at the top of the 36-hole leaderboard after admitting he was not at his best at the Coventry course.

“I don’t know whether it’s jet-lag or something, but I just haven’t swung it very well this week,” said Broadhurst, who is attached to Northamptonshire County Golf Club.

“It’s been okay on the practice area but I just haven’t been hitting shots the way I’ve been hitting it recently.

“I fat-chunked two six-irons – on six and nine – 20 yards short of the green and I’ve fat-chunked a three-rescue into 17 and somehow made birdie from it.

“There have been some poor, poor shots but I’ve obviously made some good shots as well and when I’ve hit a good shot, I’ve made birdie off it.

“It’s been a rollercoaster and I’m still leading so obviously I’m pleased,” added Broadhurst, who grew up in Walsall, and won six times on the European Tour between

“I’m not used to leading a tournament and not hitting it particularly well, said the West Midlands golfer, who played in Europe’s infamous 1991 War on the Shore Ryder Cup defeat by the USA at Kiawah Island, in South Carolina – despite not losing either of his two matches.

“Normally, you’re playing pretty well when you’re leading a tournament so tomorrow could be interesting,” added Broadhurst, whose son Sam was on the bag when he won the Seniors’ Claret Jug at Carnoustie.

Broadhurst Junior had a good summer in 2019 reaching the last 32 in the English Amateur Championship at Hankley Common after winning the North East of England Youth Championship last year and three wins at Tennessee’s Lincoln Memorial College in 2018.

With a one-shot lead heading into what is poised to be a dramatic final day on the Staysure Tour, Broadhurst only has one thing on his mind after jetting in from America for this week’s tournament.

“This is what I came back to England for,” added Nuneaton-based Broadhurst. “I didn’t come here to finish third, fourth or fifth, I want to win the tournament.

“I want to win in front of my home fans, my family and my friends.

“With that, I do put myself under a bit more pressure. You want to play well in front of all your pals, because I don’t get that chance very often as I’m playing in America so much.

“Maybe I need to take the pressure off myself and just go out and play.”

The 54-year-old will not be the only one with the trophy in his sights on Sunday, with Lawrie and Woosnam leading a chasing pack of players nicely placed for a title assault on the final day.

Lawrie, the 1999 Open Champion and Woosnam, the 1991 Masters Champion, are joined in a five-way tie for second place on six-under.

On the same mark are Sussex’s Gary Evans, Australia’s six-time Staysure Tour winner Peter Fowler, 2004 Ryder Cup winner Thomas Levet, Argentina’s Mauricio Molina and Austrian Markus Brier, who was tied for the lead with Broadhurst before bogeying his final hole in round two.

Just a stroke further back are Welshman Stephen Dodd, Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin and Lancashire’s David Shacklady, who has won twice in his last three Staysure Tour appearances.

The final round gets under way at 9.30am, with Broadhurst playing in the final group alongside Evans and Woosnam at 10.50am. For live scoring click here.

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Welshman Stephen Dodd is desperate to maintain his run of a victory in every season he has been on the Staysure Tour, in the Austrian Senior Open, at Murhof GC. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

STEPHEN Dodd has been the first to admit his 2019 Staysure Tour campaign had not gone to plan.

Yet despite a balky driver, he carded an opening-round of 64 to take a one-shot lead at the Murhof Legends – Austrian Senior Open on eight-under par.

The Welshman – who was crowned The Amateur Champion at Royal Birkdale 30 years ago – showed remarkable resilience during the Staysure Tour’s first official day of competition in Austria – the 45^th different country to host Europe’s over-50s circuit.

Following a bogey at the eighth hole, Dodd carded back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th, and then repeated the bounce-back effort by erasing his double-bogey at the 15^th with consecutive gains on the next two holes.

“The score was good,” the 53-year-old said, “I didn’t particularly drive it very well, so I’ve got a bit to work on perhaps, but I am delighted with the score.”

Dodd has collected one win on the Staysure Tour in each of the three years he has been eligible to play.

But so far he has not yet matched that high standard in 2019, and finds himself in 30^th on the Order of Merit.

Still, the man who collected his first professional title at the 1992 Bank Austria Open knows the book is not closed this season just yet.

“To put it politely, it’s been a quite one,” he said. “The season is not finished yet though, we’ve still got a few more events, so we’ll see where we are come December.

“There are plenty of birdie chances if you drive it well around here. The greens are good and the weather was perfect today so it all sets up for a good week.

“So far, we’ve had a fantastic week. Gary Stangl and the team and everybody at Murhof have looked after us fantastically well.”

The highlight of the day came when Frenchman Thomas Levet holed his 235-yard second shot into the par five seventh for an albatross.

“Making an albatross helps a lot,” the former Ryder Cup winner said. “I had my first albatross 39 years ago when I was 12-years-old and a 24-handicap. I holed a five-wood then, but there were no spectators.

“Today, the spectators behind the green were so shocked nobody reacted, so I thought, from where I was, that the ball had run through the green because I could see the pitch mark but not the ball.

“When I arrived at the green, I fixed my pitch mark and started walking to the back of the green when a guy shouted ‘It’s in the hole!’”

Levet hit every green in regulation on day one, and along with his three-under par hole, signed for a six-under 66, which put him in a share of fourth place alongside Jarmo Sandelin, José Coceres and Rafael Gomez.

A pair of Englishmen – double Senior Major Champion Roger Chapman and Staysure Tour Rookie Gary Evans – sit only one stroke behind Dodd on seven-under, while home-hero Markus Brier carded a 71, which left him in a share of 29^th.

The second round of the Murhof Legends – Austrian Senior Open begins on Saturday at 8am, with the lead group of Dodd, Chapman and Evans set to go at 11.18am.

For live scoring click here

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Thomas Levet believes his win at PGA Catalunya in 2009 was the best he played in his European Tour career – he makes just his fourth start on the Staysure Tour at the same Spanish club looking for his first Seniors win. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

THOMAS Levet returns to the scene of his 2009 Open de España victory when the European Tour Destinations Senior Classic gets under way on the Staysure Tour at PGA Catalunya Resort today (Friday).

The Frenchman captured the fifth of his six European Tour titles at the acclaimed Spanish venue, holding off Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti to secure a two-shot victory, and with it became the most decorated French golfer of all time on the European Tour.

A member of the winning 2004 Ryder Cup team, Levet is making only his fourth start on the Staysure Tour since celebrating his 50th birthday last September.

Levet will be looking to rekindle his love affair with PGA Catalunya Resort as he goes in search of his first win on the over-50s circuit.

“It’s always a pleasure to come back to a venue where you have won,” he said. “As soon as you step back onto the golf course it is as if you can feel your rhythm again and your game is back to the way it was when you won.

“It’s a strange feeling and hopefully it can last when I’m out competing on the course this week.

“My win in 2009 was probably my best week on tour. I played unbelievably all-week long from tee to green.

“The course has changed and improved a lot since then and the resort itself is unbelievable now so I’m excited to see what the week brings.”

Levet will need to outplay a formidable field if he is to emulate his triumph from a decade ago.

Former World No. 1 Ian Woosnam and Paul McGinley, who returns to action this week after a successful week as host of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, are just two of a plethora of former Ryder Cup stars set to contest the title.

Meanwhile, defending champion Magnus P Atlevi will be bidding to recapture the crown he won at Bulgaria’s Lighthouse Golf & Spa Resort, 12 months ago, with Santiago Luna, who won the inaugural contest at Linna Golf & Country Club, in Finland, in 2017, also set to tee up his title challenge.

Argentina’s José Coceres, who sits atop the Staysure Tour Order of Merit, will start the tournament among the favourites after capturing his first Staysure Tour title at last week’s Swiss Seniors Open at Bad Ragaz.

Levet gets his first round under way at 10:10am, with past champions Atlevi and Luna paired in the first group of the day to play off the first tee at 9am.

•The first round of the Bridgestone Senior Players Championship at Firestone CC was interrupted by a thunderstorm with US Senior Open winner Steve Stricker in first place on five-under with a hole to play.

With some players having only just started their rounds, Miguel Angel Jimenez wa in a share of third place with South African Retief Goosen in 12th alongside Colin Montgomerie.

You can follow live scoring in Ohio here

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