Thongchai Jaidee - 100th French Open Photo TPlassais / swing-feminin

To remember :

• A card of 68 (-3) without a bogey allows Thongchai Jaidee to occupy the lead alone at -8
• Rory McIlroy returned 70 (-1) and points in 2nd position at -6, tied with Jeunghun Wang
• First Frenchman, Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon played 72 (+1) to climb to 17th position, in the par

Contested in mild but fairly windy weather, this “moving day” kept all its promises. Author of a great start - four birdies on the first seven holes - the young Jeunghun Wang held the lead for a long time, before falling into line by conceding three bogeys on the return. After the Korean's downturn, another Asian, Thongchai Jaidee, took over. The only man to have completed the day without the slightest bogey, the Thai posted three birdies to return an excellent card of 68 (-3) and take the lead alone at -8. “Considering the conditions, -3 is an excellent score. I respected my game plan today, and I will put the same in place tomorrow: take the maximum of fairways and greens, because the course is really prepared in a very hard way ”, said the 45-year-old, who has seven wins on the European Tour, the last at the European Open in September 2015.

But the most beautiful dramaturgy of the day came from Rory McIlroy, who played a part in two very different acts. Author of a double bogey from hole number 1, then three other bogeys on the first leg against a single birdie, the Northern Irishman was eight strokes behind the leader. Persistent and combative, the world number 4 showed his true face on the return, signing no less than five birdies to snatch a card of 70 (-1) synonymous with 2nd place at -6, up to Wang. “After nine holes my goal was to get back in the par for the day. I did a better shot than that, so I'm very satisfied. I play every tournament to win it, and I'm delighted to still have my chance tomorrow ”, said McIlroy, looking for a second success on the European Tour in 2016 after his triumph at the Irish Open in late May.

A fourth man is in the leading peloton on the eve of the last lap: Bernd Wiesberger. The Austrian, author of a 70 (-1), gave himself a chance to defend the title won so brilliantly last year. He is in 4th place at -5, and will start on Sunday alongside McIlroy at 13:35, ten minutes before Jaidee and Wang. Finally, among the many pursuers of this leading quartet, the great comebacks of the German Martin Kaymer, now 5th at -3 alongside Alex Noren, Andy Sullivan, Joost Luiten and Brandon Stone, and the Englishman Lee Westwood, who now sits 10th at -2 along with Francesco Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts.

No French in the top 10, however, despite the thrills offered to the French public by Mathieu Decottignies-Lafon. The Lille shined for most of the day, even settling in third provisional place after his birdie at 12, the fifth of the day. Author of two errors in 15 and 18, sanctioned by two double bogeys, he finally had to be content with a frustrating 72 (+1) which allows him to simply nibble a place in the standings. Seventeenth in the par total, the winner of the qualification for the Exclusiv Golf Courson-Stade Français is the first French of this Hundredth, ahead of Romain Wattel and Julien Quesne, 22nd at +1

At the start of the weekend, fans were even more numerous than in the first two rounds to attend this third day of the 100th French Open. Around the last games, in the alleys of the Village, at the Testing Center and on the various activities, the public did not miss its appointment with the great golf festival in France! A grandiose spectacle to experience during the last round on Sunday thanks to the official radio of the tournament: the Voice of the Open by Amundi.

ASO press release  

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