You’ll forgive the French sports enthusiasts if they don’t really tune in to the 2014 Alstom Open de France until sometime on Saturday; after all, their national football team has kind of a big match on Friday.
A thick field of top competitors will grace the greens of Le Golf National in Paris beginning Thursday as the European Tour resumes. However, the eyes of the host nation will be firmly on South American come Friday, as the French World Cup squad, yet to lose a match so far, takes on tournament favorite Germany.
For those who prefer their sporting events a bit more measured and quiet, the Alstom Open offers up three former European No. 1s, including Tour Player of the Month for June, Martin Kaymer. Nine of the Top 50 players in the world are in the field, including both Kaymer and No. 20 Graeme McDowell, who is the defending champion at Paris, along with current Race to Dubai standings leader Thomas Bjorn, who is ranked 23rd in the world.
McDowell is one of four players in the field with a Major title under his belt, along with Kaymer, Jose Maria Olazabal and Padraig Harrington.
Local favorite Victor Dubuisson is paired with Kaymer and McDowell, teeing off at 13:20 local time on Thursday.
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