Frenchman Thomas Levet ended a 25-year wait to win his home open on Sunday, securing a one-shot victory at the Alstom Open de France.
The 42-year-old kept his nerve as those around him faltered in the final round at Le Golf National, and his closing one-under-par 70 was enough for a victorious seven-under-par total.
Levet said afterwards: “I’ve played this tournament, I don't know how many times, but now I can play for another 10 years or something like that. So it's just absolutely crazy.
“All of my friends were here in the crowd. It's always nice to win in front of your home crowd. The way it went today was just like in a dream.”
Levet went into the final round a shot behind overnight leader Mark Foster, and he started well with a birdie at the par-four first. His hopes of claiming victory on home soil took a hit when he then bogeyed the following two holes, the par-three second and par-five third, but he responded immediately with another birdie at the par-four fourth. Levet then improved his score with birdies at both the par-four sixth and par-five 14th, and a bogey at the par-three 16th did not prove costly as Foster and Thorbjorn Olesen also slipped up late.
Foster endured a disappointing fourth round that saw him finish three-over-par after a double-bogey and bogey on the back nine, and his misery was compounded as he missed out on a place at the Open Championship, with Olesen pipping him to a berth for this month’s Major. The Dane had kept himself in contention here with four birdies and two bogeys over his first 17 holes, but he slipped back to six-under, and a share of second place with Foster, after a bogey at the par-four 18th.
World number four Martin Kaymer, the pre-tournament favourite, finished in fourth place on four-under after a two-over par final round that featured four birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey.
