Frenchman Thomas Levet is looking forward to the eyes of the golfing world focussing on Le Golf National this week for the first time since the Parisian venue won the rights to stage The 2018 Ryder Cup.
Levet, who played in the successful European Ryder Cup Team in 2004, was an integral part of the French bid team and was at Wentworth Club last month when the Ryder Cup announcement was made.
Now, with those celebrations out of the way, he is ready to show the world what it can expect in seven years time, with this week’s Alstom Open de France showcasing The 2018 Ryder Cup venue to a worldwide audience.
“This tournament is like a rehearsal for what will happen in seven years,” said Levet. “It’s owned by the French Federation and the French Federation was behind The Ryder Cup bid. So what happens in the next seven years is that this tournament will help us work out how to accommodate people in The Ryder Cup.
“The course will be changed a little bit in that time. Especially the tees so people can see a little better. So the Alstom Open de France is used as a practise so we arrive in 2018 and have it just right. Obviously it is a big tournament in itself but it’s also key to 2018.
“The Open de France is already the oldest national Open in continental Europe and it’s only going to get bigger with the successful Ryder Cup bid and the Government and the Federation and sponsors behind it. You can’t believe how much interest we’ve had from sponsors in The Ryder Cup process.”
Levet and Jean Van de Velde are the only two Frenchman in the field to have tasted the unique atmosphere of being in a European Ryder Cup Team but Levet believes there is plenty of talent coming through and he hopes some of those players can perform well this week.
“When you have French players doing well you will bring in more crowds,” he said. “French people are very much behind French players.
“It’s important that some players do well but we always know how hard the game is. We have a very good group of players at the moment. What I like is the young players coming through like Romain Wattel and Victor Dubuisson. They are not losing their cards and they are improving quickly and it’s great for the game.”
Wattel and Dubuisson are joined in the field by the more experienced French contingent that includes Christian Cévaër, Gregory Havret, Raphaël Jacquelin and Jean-François Lucquin, all of whom have won on The European Tour.
Levet, who played in the successful European Ryder Cup Team in 2004, was an integral part of the French bid team and was at Wentworth Club last month when the Ryder Cup announcement was made.
Now, with those celebrations out of the way, he is ready to show the world what it can expect in seven years time, with this week’s Alstom Open de France showcasing The 2018 Ryder Cup venue to a worldwide audience.
“This tournament is like a rehearsal for what will happen in seven years,” said Levet. “It’s owned by the French Federation and the French Federation was behind The Ryder Cup bid. So what happens in the next seven years is that this tournament will help us work out how to accommodate people in The Ryder Cup.
“The course will be changed a little bit in that time. Especially the tees so people can see a little better. So the Alstom Open de France is used as a practise so we arrive in 2018 and have it just right. Obviously it is a big tournament in itself but it’s also key to 2018.
“The Open de France is already the oldest national Open in continental Europe and it’s only going to get bigger with the successful Ryder Cup bid and the Government and the Federation and sponsors behind it. You can’t believe how much interest we’ve had from sponsors in The Ryder Cup process.”
Levet and Jean Van de Velde are the only two Frenchman in the field to have tasted the unique atmosphere of being in a European Ryder Cup Team but Levet believes there is plenty of talent coming through and he hopes some of those players can perform well this week.
“When you have French players doing well you will bring in more crowds,” he said. “French people are very much behind French players.
“It’s important that some players do well but we always know how hard the game is. We have a very good group of players at the moment. What I like is the young players coming through like Romain Wattel and Victor Dubuisson. They are not losing their cards and they are improving quickly and it’s great for the game.”
Wattel and Dubuisson are joined in the field by the more experienced French contingent that includes Christian Cévaër, Gregory Havret, Raphaël Jacquelin and Jean-François Lucquin, all of whom have won on The European Tour.
RACE TO DUBAI
Player Name
Prize Money
1
Luke DONALD
€2,603,281
2
Charl SCHWARTZEL
€1,834,292
3
Rory MCILROY
€1,720,771
4
Lee WESTWOOD
€1,466,047
5
Martin KAYMER
€1,364,554
6
Anders HANSEN
€1,072,928
7
Alvaro QUIROS
€843,259
8
Miguel Angel JIMÉNEZ
€772,089
9
Ian POULTER
€753,425
10
Pablo LARRAZÁBAL
€746,964
11
Thomas AIKEN
€715,015
12
Nicolas COLSAERTS
€662,704
13
Y. E. YANG
€646,437
14
Alexander NOREN
€639,599
15
Matteo MANASSERO
€623,979
